State Auditor Mike Foley has released his office’s annual audit of the Nebraska State Lottery and found Lottery ticket sales have declined by over $36 million dollars in the most recent fiscal year.
That 16.3% drop in sales, driven partly, Foley believes, by the increased availability of casino gambling and the growth of other gaming options, had a negative financial impact on the Lottery’s statutorily mandated funding of four key State initiatives.
Those four are the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Nebraska State Fair, the Compulsive Gambler’s Assistance Fund, and a variety of educational funds, including the Nebraska Opportunity Grant Fund.
“Overall, these four key State initiatives received nearly $10 million less from the Lottery due to flagging ticket sales, with possible further decreases on the horizon as alternative forms of gambling continue to gain momentum,” Foley says.
The full report is available below.