Legislature May Divert Lottery Funds
Written by Andrew-Rossi on January 23, 2018
A legislative panel has endorsed a proposal that would allow the state of Wyoming to grab some of the statewide lottery earnings.
The Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee voted 9-3 Thursday in Cheyenne to sponsor a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would allow the state to take 5 percent of the gross proceeds earned by the Wyoming Lottery. State coffers would be enriched by about $1 million a year.
WyoLotto started selling tickets in 2014 after the Legislature authorized its creation. Its profits are shared with local cities, towns and counties. Wyoming State Treasurer Mark Gordon says the lottery has been a help to the local communities in this time of budgetary woes.
However, because the state is facing budget deficits from declining mineral revenue, some lawmakers are looking at other potential revenue sources for the state, including appropriating a percentage of lottery proceeds. But opponents of the idea say those potential changes would reduce the money going to municipalities.
