“Absolutely, we’re trying to get the contract,” said Richard McIntosh, who lobbies for Intralot Inc., one of the firms hoping to wrest the business from the longtime contractor, GTECH Corp. of Providence, R.I. “We’re trying to bring more value to the state.”

The lottery had record sales last year of more than $1.1 billion. But the amount it generated for education — $267.3 million — was about $21 million lower than in 2013. That put a spotlight on where the rest of the money goes: prize payouts, vendor fees and administrative costs.

Defending the current practices is lottery executive director May Scheve Reardon, a former state representative from Affton and a former Missouri Democratic Party chairwoman. She has held the $113,924-a-year director’s job since 2009.

Reardon told a Missouri House committee last week that the lottery’s payment to education wasn’t as high as expected because of factors beyond the agency’s control. For example, the most profitable game is Powerball, which had fewer large jackpots last year, depressing sales.

Reardon assured legislators that administrative expenses aren’t out of line. They equal 4.6 percent of revenue, a level that she called “one of the lowest in the country.”