Since 1987 through FY12, the Lottery has raised over $2.14 billion for all South Dakotans.
How was it used?
The South Dakota Lottery funds education, lowers property taxes, and develops natural resources.
Funding Education
The Lottery has provided more than $416 million to the state General Fund. Each year, nearly half of the entire General Fund is used to support local K-12
schools and state universities and technical institutes.
Lowering Property Taxes
The Lottery has provided nearly $1.7 billion to the Property Tax Reduction Fund, which reduces local property taxes on owner-occupied and agricultural
land by 30%.
Developing Natural Resources
The Lottery has provided more than $57 million to the Capital Construction Fund. Local communities use these funds to pay for rural water systems,
community drinking water and wastewater improvement projects, and recycling and waste disposal programs.
These benefits represent the leading use of the three state funds that receive Lottery revenues. The Lottery has also provided nearly $3 million to the S.D. Department of Human Services for problem gambling treatment services. A detailed description of each Lottery product’s
beneficiary funds follows.
Lottery revenues come from the sale of scratch tickets, lotto tickets and video lottery play.
Scratch Tickets
All revenue from the sale of scratch tickets is transferred to the state General Fund. Scratch ticket sales have raised more than $96 million for the
General Fund.
Lotto Tickets
Currently, the first $1.4 million of revenue from the sale of lotto tickets goes to the state General Fund. Any additional revenue is transferred
to the Capital Construction Fund.
Lotto ticket sales have generated over $45 million for the General Fund and more than $57 million for the Capital Construction Fund.
The current distribution of revenues took effect in state fiscal year 1997. Prior to that, lotto ticket revenues were transferred to the General
Fund, where they were dedicated for corrections facility construction.
Video Lottery
Revenue generated by video lottery play is called Net Machine Income (NMI). NMI is calculated as cash put into the machines minus prizes cashed out
(cash in – prizes out = NMI). The state currently receives 50% of NMI. The private machine owners (licensed operators) receive the other 50%.
The state’s share of NMI is currently transferred to the Property Tax Reduction Fund (49.5% of NMI). A small amount is kept by the Lottery for
operation costs (0.5% of NMI).
Revenue from video lottery play has raised more than $1.66 billion for the Property Tax Reduction Fund.
The
state’s share of NMI was originally transferred to the General Fund. The current distribution to the Property Tax Reduction Fund began in state
fiscal year 1997.
Revenue from video lottery has raised nearly $276 million for the General Fund.
General Fund
The General Fund is state government’s general spending account and supports public and higher education, programs like Medicaid and Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families, human services facilities, and the corrections and court systems.
The state Bureau of Finance & Management provides a summary of General Fund receipts and expenditures for the current state fiscal year in its Budget in Brief document.
Capital Construction Fund
The Capital Construction Fund
is a temporary stop for monies destined for other state funds:
71.8% is sent to the Water &
Environment Fund. This fund is used for rural water system development; to provide loans and grants to local communities for drinking water and
wastewater improvement projects; recycling, solid waste disposal and waste tire projects; and regional landfills. More information on natural resource development projects is available from the
Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources.
25.6% is sent to the
Ethanol Fuel Fund.
This fund provides $4 million in annual
production payments to
qualified South Dakota ethanol producers.
2.6% is sent to the State
Highway Fund, which is currently used for construction and maintenance of state highways and bridges and for public transportation. More
information about the state highway system and public transportation is available from the
Dept. of Transportation.
A portion of the Capital Construction Fund was previously sent to the Public and Special Transportation Assistance Fund.
Property Tax Reduction Fund
The Property Tax Reduction Fund
is used to reduce local property taxes on owner-occupied and agricultural land by 30%.
The Property Tax Reduction Fund is used to replace local property tax revenue for K-12 schools thereby lowering local property tax levies. A detailed
explanation is provided in the publication
Your Property Taxes, available from the Department of Revenue along with other
property tax information publications.