After nearly six months of withholding payment of prizes over $600, Illinois will return to paying lottery winners when they win, and to paying some of what’s owed to many who count on state funding to continue to operate.
Governor Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 2039 Monday, December 7, 2015, giving lottery officials the legal authority to resume paying all prizes.
After Gov. Rauner signed the measure, the state was authorized to release $1 billion to pay lottery winners in Illinois. The measure also allows payment for administration of statewide 911 service, and frees up some money from the gas tax for counties to plow and maintain some roads. Funds were released for several other organizations including Special Olympics, firefighters and firefighter training programs, law enforcement and police training programs, state pension funds, the Department of Transportation and to state police, as well as veterans homes and several tourism programs.
The Illinois Lottery stopped paying winners of prizes over $25,000 in the summer of 2015, after the new fiscal year began July 1; without a state budget in place, the lottery did not have the legal authority to disburse winnings. By mid-October, the state announced winners of prizes over $600 would also have to wait to be paid.
Transfers to the Common School Fund were also unaffected, according to a statement from the lottery.
