FINAL BILL REPORT

ESSB 5681

C 31 L 15 E 3

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning state lottery accounts.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hill and Angel; by request of Office of Financial Management).

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Appropriations

Background: The Washington Lottery was established in 1982. The Lottery sells a variety of products, including scratch-off ticket games, Keno, multi-jurisdictional number-picking games such as Powerball and Mega Millions, and other games of chance. Lottery revenues are used to fund the following purposes: (1) Washington Opportunity Pathways Account; (2) debt payments on stadium bonds; (3) problem gambling education; (4) economic development; and (5) the general fund.

The State Lottery Account is a non-appropriated enterprise account for all revenues from the sale of lottery products and expenses for payment of prizes to lottery winners, cost of sales, and retailer commissions. The State Lottery Account must be a separate account outside the state treasury. The Lottery Administrative Account is an appropriated account in the state treasury used to fund costs incurred in the operations and administration of the Lottery.

Summary: On June 30 of each fiscal year, any balance of unclaimed prizes in excess of $10 million must be transferred to the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account. Funds in the Lottery Administrative Account may be used to fund Lottery revenue forecasts by the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. Funds from the State Lottery Account may be transferred to the Gambling Revolving Account in amounts as directed by the omnibus appropriations act.

Votes on Final Passage:

First Special Session

Third Special Session