Illinois Still Doesn’t Have a Budget Plan, and Now It’s Affecting the State’s Lottery
Lottery winners in Illinois are definitely not happy lately, but it isn’t because they’re losing. It’s because they’re winning, but they’re receiving a big ol’ I.O.U. from the Illinois Lottery because of the state’s budget problems.
According to the Chicago Sun Times and New York Daily Post, the Illinois legislature doesn’t have its budget figured out yet and is therefore unable to pay lotto winners if their prize is more than $25,000. The state’s fiscal year ended on June 30 -- nearly three months ago -- but Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-controlled Illinois legislature haven’t come to an agreement on a spending plan for the current year.
Many Americans don’t realize it, but each state controls its own lottery and is responsible for paying lottery winnings; everything...