In the United States, the Mega Millions and Powerball lotteries have become a significant part of monthly consumer spending, offering people the chance at winning life changing amounts of cash. State lotteries nationwide generated $81.6 billion in sales in 2019, according to the Census Bureau, with much of the proceeds going to fund education and infrastructure.
Look at our neighbors. Mississippi recently passed legislation for their own lottery in 2018. Nine months into their first fiscal year, 2021, their State Treasury received over $100 million from lottery proceeds. In Florida, they expected to contribute $2.2 billion to the state’s education budget after a record breaking 2020-21 year of over $9 billion in sales. Georgia generated over $1.5 billion in profit, and the list goes on. How much of these profits do you think comes from Alabamians that live close to our state borders?
We are leaving an incredible amount of money on the table that our neighbors are only too happy to take. When Alabama is at the bottom of the list in education, this fact is inexcusable.
Lotteries generate a significant amount of money for publicly funded projects, including public education and social service projects. With this in mind, people who play the lottery responsibly actually contribute to the development of the local community. This means that their sport produces some form of positive social change.
It is time we implement a fair and partial lottery system to benefit all Alabamians, not just a select few.
