Dear readers,
A few weeks ago, a reader called The Forum and said he wanted to know more about the North Dakota Lottery -- where the money goes, number of winners, etc. A co-worker passed the word along, and I decided to use that for Ask Your Government this week.
I contacted the Attorney General's Office, which worked with the Lottery Division to provide some information. Here's what was pulled together:
The updated breakdown of each $1 lottery ticket is:
- Prizes: 52 cents.
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- Contracted services: 10 cents.
- Retailer commissions: 5 cents.
- Administrative/operating expense: 3 cents.
- Marketing/advertising expense: 3 cents.
- Compulsive gambling prevention and treatment fund: 1 cent.
- Multijurisdictional drug task force grant fund: 2 cents.
- Prize reserve pools: 1 cent.
- State general fund: 23 cents.
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Agencies that provide oversight of the lottery are the Lottery Advisory Commission, ( www.lottery.nd .
gov/About/Commission ),
Administrative Rules, ( www.lottery.nd.gov/about/
laws), Audits ( www.nd.gov/
auditor/reports.htm) and the state Office of Management and Budget.
Since the lottery's launch in March 2004, North Dakotans have spent about $138 million on lottery tickets. For the past five fiscal years, ticket sales were $21.7 million to $24.4 million each year.
More than $36 million of lottery money has been transferred to the state general fund, $1.4 million to the compulsive gambling prevention and treatment fund, and about $1 million to the drug task force fund.
Retailer commissions add up to about $7 million and prize expenses to about $70 million.
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The system does not track the number of people who win, only the value won.
The total value of North Dakota winning tickets as of Aug. 31 is $50,690,600. The value of North Dakota winning tickets for Jan 1. to Aug. 31 of this year is $6,397,384.
Do you have a question for a state government official or agency? Send us your question, and we'll do our best to find an answer.
E-mail politics@wday.com (Subject: Ask your government).
You may also write to Teri Finneman c/o Forum Communications, Press Room, State Capitol, Bismarck, N.D. 58505.
Please include your name, town and a phone number to reach you for verification.
