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Hoosier Lottery sends near-record revenue to state

Indiana governor's office official John Roeder, Hoosier Lottery Commission Chair William Zielke and Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah Taylor pose for a photo with a ceremonial check from the lottery to the state. Roeder and Zielke are holding the large check in front of them. Roeder is a White man with dark hair, glasses and a beard. Zielke is a White man with white hair, glasses and a mustache. Both of them are wearing suits and ties. Taylor is a White woman with brunette hair, wearing a yellow and black polka dot dress with a light yellow sweater over it.
Brandon Smith
/
IPB News
Hoosier Lottery Commission Chair William Zielke and Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah Taylor (center and right) present a ceremonial check to John Roeder (left) with the governor's office on Aug. 16, 2022. The check represents the surplus revenue for the state generated by the Hoosier Lottery.

Indiana government will receive $344 million from the Hoosier Lottery this year – a near record amount.

That money goes to help teacher, police and firefighter pensions as well as reduce how much you pay for your license plates at the BMV.

The lottery broke just about every record it had for the fiscal year that spanned July 2020 to June 2021. The general consensus was that, with the pandemic shutting down a lot of other entertainment options, people turned to lottery games.

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Lottery officials didn’t expect similar numbers for the most recent fiscal year, which ended in June. But revenues were just 2 percent less – which Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah Taylor said will deliver $344 million to the state.

“Ended up being better off than we thought, from budget, and we’re excited to turn the second highest amount [ever] over to the state of Indiana,” Taylor said.

Taylor acknowledged that lottery revenues are likely settling back down to more normal levels. But she said the current forecast projects the lottery will collect more money by the end of next June than its budget expected.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state. He previously worked at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and WSPY in Plano, Illinois. His first job in radio was in another state capitol - Jefferson City, Missouri - as a reporter for three stations around the Show-Me State.