Where does the money go when you buy a lottery ticket?
Recently, prices went up on the Powerball lottery tickets to
$3, and Mega Millions went up to $5 per play and the question I have is simple:
where does that money go for each play?
The Lottery Commission's claim it goes to support multiple state programs
such as Parks and recreational programs, veterans’ programs, emergency services, and educational programs within each state, but does it really?
So I did a little investigating to find
out where the money goes. Here is the list that features each state's
breakdown on where the money goes. Interesting results for sure. It doesn’t
just go to education, environmental, veterans, parks and recreation, or even emergency
services.
Arizona
The Arizona Lottery's launch on
July 1, 1981, its sales revenue totaling $11 billion, with nearly
$3.5 billion of that directed back into state funds and programs. While a
majority — and growing — portion of that money has gone into the general
fund where the governor and Legislature can spend it as they choose, about $1.8
billion has been returned to Arizona communities through grants and programs
that help people who are homeless, victims of domestic abuse and children in
the foster care system. The following is a little bit about the breakdown
of where the money goes. I’ve fleshed out the Arizona funding sources and
listed the other states' programs you can research independently. But
remember this: where it says General Fund, that means the money goes to the
state Legislature to decide who gets what money and where it is sent. I have to wonder if it lands in the state
representatives pocket or political PAC account for the next general election,
because each state has problems with roads, maintenance needed in their parks
and recreational locations, their schools aren’t paying the teachers any raises
and the veterans are being neglected oh and the emergency services are lacking
upgrades equipment or personnel, so where is that money going? I recommend that
every citizen who reads this posting put a team together and begin researching
where that money goes before it’s too late and your property taxes go up higher
than they should go up.
Reference Source: Mega
Millions lottery: Where does lottery money go in different states? : NPR
Arizona:
- Heritage
Fund $6million allocated for
various projects Arizona
Heritage Alliance Announces $6 Million in Heritage Fund Grants for FY
2024 - Arizona Heritage Alliance
- Commerce
Authority Arizona Competes Fund: An annual state-wide deal closing fund
of $25 million. A portion is available to qualified
organizations achieving performance measures that stimulate and promote
industries that provide stable, high-wage jobs.
- Mass
Transit: Pheonix buses upgrade
- Healthy
Arizona
- State
of Arizona General Fund: The General Fund provides nearly $18
billion. Other funds include $5 billion appropriated by the
legislature and $13 billion non-appropriated funds. Non-appropriated funds
are funds that agencies may spend without being authorized by the
legislature.
- Court
Appointed Special Advocate Fund (Unclaimed prizes): 5-568. Disposition
of unclaimed prize money
Unclaimed prize money for the prize on a
winning ticket or share shall be retained for the person entitled to the prize
for one hundred eighty days after the drawing in which the prize was won in the
case of a drawing prize and for one hundred eighty days after the announced end
of the game in question in the case of a prize determined in any manner other
than by means of a drawing. If a claim is not made for the money within the
applicable period, the money shall be transferred in the following amounts:
1. Fifty-five percent of the prize money
shall be held in the state lottery prize fund for use as additional prizes in
future games, except that if the amount of monies transferred by the commission
pursuant to section 5-554, subsection H, paragraph 1 is less than $900,000 each
fiscal year, the difference shall be transferred to the internet crimes against
children enforcement fund established by section 41-199 and if the amount of
monies transferred by the commission pursuant to section 5-554, subsection H,
paragraph 2 is less than $100,000 each fiscal year, the difference shall be
transferred to the victims' rights enforcement fund established by section
41-1727.
2. Thirty percent shall be transferred
quarterly to the court appointed special advocate and vulnerable persons fund
established by section 8-524.
3. Fifteen percent shall be transferred
monthly to the tribal college dual enrollment program fund established by
section 15-244.01. The amount transferred may not exceed $325,000 in any fiscal
year.
- Homeless
Shelters
- Dept
of Gaming
- University
Bond Fund: educational institutions find it increasingly difficult to come
by public funding, many are looking to the bond market to plug the gap
- Internet
Crimes Against Children Victims: This is part of the Social Services program
that gets bonuses to separating children from their natural parents based
on anonymous tips of child abuse.
- Tribal
College Dual Enrollment Program: Wonder why the state of Arizona provides
funding for tribal college when the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington
DC pays these college funds?
- Educational
Trust Fund
- Education
- Division
of Parks and Wildlife
- Conservation
Trust Fund
- Great
Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund
- School
Fund
- General
Fund (to benefit education, roads, health and hospitals, public safety,
etc.) In otherwords, it goes to the legislature to decide who gets what
pot of money. Remember Connecticut has been bankrupt for years, so whose pocket
is the money going into?
- General
Fund
- Health
& Social Services-Problem Gambler Programs
- General
Fund
- Education
Enhancement Trust Fund
- Lottery
for Education Account
- Public
Schools (K-12)
- Public
Buildings
- Illinois
Common School Fund (K-12)
- Illinois
Veterans Assistance Fund
- Ticket
For The Cure Fund
- Quality
of Life Endowment Fund
- Multiple
Sclerosis Research Fund
- Special
Olympics Fund
- Build
Indiana Fund
- Teachers
Pension Fund
- Police
& Firefighters Pension Fund
- General
Fund
- Veterans
Trust Fund
- Transfers
to the State
- Post-Secondary
& College Scholarships
- Literacy
Programs & Early Childhood Reading
- Transfers
to State
- Problem
Gambling
- General
Fund
- Maine
Outdoor Heritage Fund
- Maryland
General Fund - Lottery Profit
- Baltimore
City Schools - Lottery Profit
- Maryland
Stadium Authority - Lottery Profit
- Education
Trust Fund - VLT and Table Game Proceeds
- Local
Impact Grants - VLT Proceeds
- Horse
Racing Industry - VLT Proceeds
- Small,
Minority, and Women-Owned Businesses - VLT Proceeds
- Responsible
Gaming - VLT and Table Game Assessments
- Cities
and Towns
- Arts
Council
- General
Fund
- Compulsive
Gamblers
- Education
(K-12)
- Health
and Human Services
- General
Fund
- General
Fund
- Environmental
and Natural Resources Trust Fund
- Game
& Fish Fund
- Natural
Resources Fund
- Compulsive
Gambling
- Public
Education in Missouri
- State
of Montana General Fund
- Compulsive
Gamblers Assistance Fund
- Education
Innovation Fund
- Environmental
Trust Fund
- State
Fair Support & Improvement Fund
- Nebraska
Opportunity Grant Fund
- Education
- Education
and Institutions
- Lottery
Tuition Fund
- Education
- Education
- Alcohol
Law Enforcement
- NC
Problem Gambling
- Compulsive
Gambling Fund
- State
General Fund
- Drug
Task Force
- Education
- Education
- Mental
Health
- Economic
Development
- Public
Education
- Parks
and Natural Resource Programs
- Gambling
Addiction Prevention & Treatment Programs
- General
Fund
- Education
Lottery Fund
- General
Fund
- Capital
Construction Fund
- Grant
to Human Services
- Lottery
for Education Account
- After
School Program
- Foundation
School Fund
- Multicategorical
Teaching Hospital
- Texas
Veterans Commission (Veterans Assistance Fund)
- Education
Fund
- Direct
aid to Public Education K-12
- Washington
Opportunity Pathways Account
- King
County Stadium and Exhibition Center (Qwest Field)
- Economic
Devel. Strategic Reserve
- Problem
Gambling
- General
Fund
- Education
- Senior
Citizens
- Tourism
- Other
- Public
Benefit - Total Available for Property Tax Relief
- Wyoming
Cities, Town, and Counties
While some states actually use the
excess lottery funds for educational, park and recreation, veterans or first
responder initiatives, most state lottery funds aren’t so clear. So where does
that money go when you buy a lottery ticket? Inquiring minds want to know.
Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty
years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content
sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts from Phoenix
University in Business Management, then a degree. Mass Communication and Cyber
Analysis from Ashford University, then on to Walden University for her master’s
in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently
studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes
coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime.
Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare
time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, Gouche, and pastels.
As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career,
Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using
history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs that range from
art to life coaching, to food, to writing, Gardening, and opinion or history
pieces each week.
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