Wyoming’s mining industry may be faltering however its lottery is considering an expansion. The Wyoming Lottery (WyoLotto) has also begun to disburse profits to municipalities hit by plummeting tax revenues.
Last week a member of the lottery board floated the idea that the legislature should allow the lottery to expand the types of games allowed. The lottery was authorized in 2014.
By law it shares its first $6 million in profits with cities and towns and anything above that with public schools. It began disbursing proceeds early this year with a $1 million payment to the state. WyoLotto calculates that it will pay about $3 million annually from the sale of Powerball, Mega Millions and a state lottery known as Cowboy Draw.
Currently those are the only games authorized. Anything else would require a vote of the legislature. Lottery CEO Jon Clontz said last week that until that changes that the $3 million is the likely upward limit.
Additional instant scratchers would raise that to $12 million, said Clontz. “So you can see how much we’re leaving on the table by not having scratch products,” he told the Associated Press.
The state’s main source of tax revenue is the mineral extraction industry, which has been hard hit by increased renewable energy development, plunging coal prices and more onerous federal regulations.
Jim Whalen, a member of the Wyoming Lottery Commission, is urging a closer look at expanding the lottery. He told the AP last week, “When I look at our state, and I think OK, so we are in situation clearly that we’re suffering a little bit in terms of our revenue. While the lottery was never intended, I don’t think, to essentially augment the revenues for the state of Wyoming in order to pay bills, frankly, this could be one of those unintended benefits of creating a lottery.”
The main sponsor of the 2014 law, Rep. Dave Zwonitzer, says he wouldn’t be surprised if an expansion bill was introduced this year. “I know several communities would be very much in favor of it, but I know a lot of the state would not be in favor of it,” he said.
Other lawmakers say that they voted for the 2014 law with the promise that scratcher type games would NOT be allowed.
