Where does the Lottery money go?

**NikoSan999** · 04-09-2010, 10:44 PM

I was posting on the VAT thread and decided to start this one. It has been a topic of conversation in this house for a long time.

You know, in all this economic talk one thing that is NEVER mentioned....the lottery. Where does all that money go? The winner dosen't get all it. It goes to taxes. Every week you hear it's 20 million...50 million...65 million...Not to mention roller ball.

It started out there were percentages designated for schools, for roads, for this for that. What happened to this? It is NEVER mentioned anymore. Where is the money?

Lottery sales aren't down. Being bought now more than ever. On the off hand chance that.....

Yes, it's going somewhere, to some agency to be disbursed but most of the states have the lottery. So where is it? Where is it being disbursed to? Or more likely to WHO.

I asked at a grocery store a long time ago how it was designated and the manager pulled a chart out ( that was supposed to be posted at the time ) and the one thing I remember was that the schools were supposed to get 27% of the money the winner didn't get. Hmmm....how many millions a year is that...so why are teachers being laid off. Here, they are talking about laying off over a third.

WHERE IS THE LOTTERY MONEY GOING????? What's your opinion if you've ever wondered...

**ohwhataday03** · 04-09-2010, 11:25 PM

I think they spend it on what needs to have the money at the time.
Here in Michigan they say so much goes to schools, but like you said there is not alot going to them. It funny that some people got their rasies every year!

Edit to change letters! sorry.

**pollypurebred39** · 04-09-2010, 11:56 PM

They say in Pa. a portion goes for programs for seniors. Where the rest goes is anybodies guess.

**frugalfoster** · 04-10-2010, 12:01 AM

I think it goes into that bottomless pit they call the budget!!! And why is it that we all have to live on one, but they don't??? Our schools are supposed to get a big percentage of the money from the lottery...but our schools are having a rough time financially. I think that the money goes to administrate itself...

**lparker** · 04-10-2010, 10:06 AM

When it started in New York, I believe it was to go to schools on top of state aid...basically so we could improve education. Now, the state says they have x numbers of dollars for aid, subtract the amount generated by the lotteries and add it to the general fund, then add the lotteries money to bring the total back up to the original state aid level. That way they can say the money goes to schools, but it's all flim-flam. And our education system continues it's slow downward spiral.

BTW, it didn't take the gov. long to figure out those scratch-offs were a cash cow.

**jas** · 04-10-2010, 10:21 AM

NikoSan999, like you said they sold the people of Florida on the lottery says it would help education they are raking in the money, but there is still no money for the school systems. We are having to cut teaching postitions my huge amounts and it is only getting worse. At this rate we will have 100 students per one teacher. But all the higher up still get fat paychecks. Argh.

**KathleenCG** · 04-10-2010, 01:50 PM

A very good question! Alabama is one state that doesn't have a lottery. Does anyone know of any others?

**McD** · 04-10-2010, 01:53 PM

THe Iowa Lottery has this nifty little site with a cool little pie chart. Where the Money Goes

**Imarachne** · 04-10-2010, 04:05 PM

Its like all of our tax money, the lottery money and taxes go into a big hole in the sky and never is seen again.

**wanderlusting** · 04-10-2010, 09:20 PM

When I was in Nebraska public high school (late 90's, early 00's) we had a few things paid for with lottery winnings. We had a career computer lab, the technician for that lab and a counselor who only dealt with helping students get scholarships.

**ncarr** · 04-10-2010, 09:27 PM

In Florida lottery money funds Bright Futures Scholarships.

**DaughterOfErin** · 04-10-2010, 09:35 PM

I suspect it's hangin' with all that Social Security and Medicare money that has some how gone missing over the years? Yanno the monies that were supposed to be put in a "lockbox"? and not used for anything else? KWIM?

**mrsfoamy** · 04-11-2010, 08:04 AM

In Florida, the Bright Futures scholarships have been butchered. I went to a financial seminar in Nov. at the college my daughter wants to go to and they now dole out the money by credit hour. They said it equated to about 2,800 dollars a year now. I know people who went to college in years past practically for free with it.

**ncarr** · 04-11-2010, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by mrsfoamy

In Florida, the Bright Futures scholarships have been butchered. I went to a financial seminar in Nov. at the college my daughter wants to go to and they now dole out the money by credit hour. They said it equated to about 2,800 dollars a year now. I know people who went to college in years past practically for free with it.

was this a public or private university?