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Late last month, the Illinois Lottery had indefinitely suspended sales of Mega Millions and Powerball tickets within state borders. It had also suspended all payouts above $25,000, for the simple reason that the state was experiencing serious budget woes.
However, the issue was resolved - whether quickly or slowly is up for debate. As of Thursday, July 6, the sale of Mega Millions and Powerball lottery tickets has resumed, following the passing of a state budget.
The comptroller hopes that with the passing of the new budget, those who have recently won big payouts ($25,000 or more) will now be able to collect their winnings.
Lottery Income and Losses
Resuming lotto sales is good news for Illinois, as the financially-strapped state earns approximately $90 in profit from both Powerball and Mega Millions lottery ticket sales. (A sizeable portion of that income goes toward state-sponsored education.)
In fact, Illinois Lottery officials report that the state lost approximately $4 million since it suspended sales of Powerball and Mega Millions lottery tickets.
Acting Director of the lottery, Greg Smith, issued the following statement:
The Illinois Lottery is pleased to announce that sales of Mega Millions have resumed, and players may purchase tickets at any of the Lottery’s nearly 8,000 retail partners...We appreciate the loyalty of our players and retail partners as we continue our mission to fund K-12 education.
Other Illinois Lotto News
A $300,000 winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket was recently sold in Arlington Heights, Illinois - however, the lucky winner has not yet stepped forward to claim his or her prize. The state lottery is advising the winner to immediately sign the back of the ticket and keep it in a safe place until they step forward to claim it. According to lotto rules, winners have up to one year from the date of the winning draw to claim their prize.
