Wyoming Legislature works on lottery bill compromise

Feb 26, 2013, 2:00 pm (11 comments)

Wyoming Lottery

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Don't bet just yet on a bill that would allow a lottery and multistate games such as Powerball in Wyoming.

The state House of Representatives on Monday voted not to agree with changes the Senate made to the proposal despite the measure's main sponsor supporting the Senate version.

Last week, the Senate amended the bill to change how the lottery's proceeds would be used.

The Senate version specifies that any proceeds outside of the expenses and prizes will go to support the state school system, which already is among the nation's best-funded.

The House version of the bill had specified that proceeds would be distributed among local governments in the state.

A panel of legislators from both chambers met later Monday and devised a compromise that would have $6 million in proceeds go to local governments and anything in excess would go to a public school foundation fund. In addition, they decided that the bill should include a provision that the Legislature review where the money is being spent after six years.

Both chambers will consider the compromise today.

Rep. David Zwonitzer, the bill's main sponsor, said he hoped the compromise would be acceptable.

"We did not say we have to go to the House side or the Senate side, take it or leave it," Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, said. "So we did make a great effort to try to come to the middle for both sides so everybody could agree on it."

Since no one really knows how much money a lottery would raise, the sunset provision after six years allows the Legislature to make adjustments on where the proceeds go based on actual numbers, he said.

A Wyoming lottery is estimated to bring in about $25 million a year. After expenses and prizes, it would net the state an estimated $6 million annually.

A statewide lottery has been continually shot down in the Legislature since the 1980s. Until this year, the lottery proposal had never even cleared the House, where revenue-generating bills must originate.

Opponents say a statewide lottery is a regressive tax on poor residents who play the game. Proponents note Wyoming loses millions of dollars a year from residents who play the lottery elsewhere.

AP

Comments

LottoPerro

This can't be good.  Hopefully they'll come to a compromise.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Come on Wyoming you can do it......

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

They should draft Dick Cheney as Governor.

He'd straighten it out.  Mad

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Feb 26, 2013

They should draft Dick Cheney as Governor.

He'd straighten it out.  Mad

I wonder how all those "poor residents" can afford to make it across state lines to play the lottery?

peppy007

Good point Ronnie

johnb1957

well the Wyoming House and Senate just voted to concur on the compromise for the Wyoming Lottery Bill....now it goes to the Governor for his signature...we are just a pen stroke away from having a Lottery

johnb1957

The Governor of Wyoming just signed the Lottery Bill....it will take a year to get the lottery up and going here but hopefully by the end of the year we can buy Powerball Tickets

 

 

+

RedStang's avatarRedStang

Quote: Originally posted by johnb1957 on Mar 13, 2013

The Governor of Wyoming just signed the Lottery Bill....it will take a year to get the lottery up and going here but hopefully by the end of the year we can buy Powerball Tickets

 

 

+

Congrats. Consider this your first win.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Wyoming should start off with a $1 Scratcher called "The Dick Cheney Pheasant Hunt".

If you scratch off a Pheasant you win $100

If you scratch off a shotgun you win $500

If you scratch off Dick Cheney scowling at you, you win $750

If you scratch off an ambulance you win $1,000

RedStang's avatarRedStang

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Mar 14, 2013

Wyoming should start off with a $1 Scratcher called "The Dick Cheney Pheasant Hunt".

If you scratch off a Pheasant you win $100

If you scratch off a shotgun you win $500

If you scratch off Dick Cheney scowling at you, you win $750

If you scratch off an ambulance you win $1,000

LOL. What do you get for a "Win-All".

Ronnie316

Sounds like they only need to decide, "How we gonna spend all that money"

End of comments
Subscribe to this news story