In Mississippi, officials believe a lottery bill could be a real possibility in the legislative session that began January 2. It’s estimated a lottery could generate up to 0 million annually in revenue.
State Rep. Alyce Clarke said a lottery could fund a college scholarship program similar to Georgia and other states. “It will help the children,” she said. However, Governor Phil Bryant last year said although he would be open to discussing a statewide lottery, he did not support using the proceeds for a college fund. “I would be adamantly opposed to dedicating the revenue derived from a lottery to a particular agency or line item, particularly one as important as education. The future of our schoolchildren should not be left to a game of chance,” Bryant said.
Lt. Governor Tate Reeves added he believes a lottery would not have a significant economic impact. “Right now, Mississippi requires gambling institutions to provide real economic impact. A casino can provide hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars of investment through hotels, restaurants and shops. A lottery doesn’t provide those benefits. I believe that is why the legislature has not embraced lotteries.”
