Dear Neighbor,
The Minnesota State Lottery had $560 million in statewide sales last year, setting a record for the sixth-straight year. This translated to another record: $135 million in contributions to the state General Fund, Environmental Resources Trust Fund and more.
It is interesting how lottery revenue has shown consistent growth regardless of how our economy is performing in any given year.
Our House District 31B – which includes Linwood Township and the cities of Columbus, East Bethel, Ham Lake and parts of Oak Grove and Andover – contributed $3.1 million in lottery sales last year, up from $2.7 million in 2012. The 2013 total includes $2 million in scratch games and $1.1 million in lottery games.
A total of 19 businesses in District 31B served as lottery retailers last year, earning $186,528 in commissions and incentives. Those sales resulted in estimated contributions $414,106 to the General Fund, $190,838 to the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund and $73,279 to each the Game and Fish Fund and the Natural Resources Fund.
The $560 million in statewide sales resulted in contributions of $135 million to state programs, with $75 million to the General Fund, $34 million to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, and $13 million to both the Natural Resources Fund and the Game and Fish Fund.
A chart is available online with details of how lottery revenue is appropriated. Just log on to www.mnlottery.com and select the “Where the Money Goes” dropdown under the “News and Info” tab.
Sincerely,
Tom