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On March 10, the Associated Press broke the big news. Lawmakers in Idaho are worried about foreign participation within the Powerball lottery. Legislation that would have allowed this game that is full of jackpots to continue in the state was shot down. This happened after the game ran for over three decades.
So, what caused this to happen? The decision came after Idaho Lottery officials attempted to get the State Law changed because Powerball with include Australia later this year and Britain come 2022. But, as current Idaho law states, Powerball may only be played by people within North America, the U.S. or Canada.
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For context, Idaho was one of the early adopters of Powerball in the 1990s. It now includes over 45 states, two territories and Washington D.C. It is run by the Multi-State Lottery Association.
While Idaho’s Legislature is mostly comprised of Republicans, some Democrats also were not in favor of the change. With a 10-4 vote by the Legislature’s House State Affairs Committee means the end of Powerball will come in August, after the last drawing.
A Republican Rep. noted that while Powerball has been good for education, she worried that once Australia joins, the government may use funds for causes she opposes. A Democratic Rep. also acknowledged that the state took millions and used it for education, but expressed concern about even more countries joining the game, and that authority and the best use for the funds might be out of the state’s hands.
A handful of Representatives wanted the bill to be amended to keep Powerball, but with a plan in place to deal with the Multi-State Lottery Association’s fund allocations and country additions, but it did not come to fruition.
The game generated about $28 million in ticket sales, with $14 million going to schools.
With more countries being added, the jackpot amount is expected to increase, but so will the number of players. Lawmakers fear that means less money will be staying in Idaho, since there is less of a chance an Idaho resident will win.
The director of the Idaho Lottery tried to convince the lawmakers that countries with differing legal systems to the U.S., such as China, would never be able to join, but that did not convince them when it came time to make a decision.
Other lawmakers were troubled to learn how much is spent, over $3 million, a year, to advertise Powerball, especially when there have not been many winners based in Idaho and there can be more than one winner, so earnings have the potential to be smaller.
As on Rep. stated, Powerball was fine for 32 years, but that is no longer the case.
The last official Powerball date is Aug 23.
Due to this, schools will not get as much money and the state must come up with a way to undo big advertising commitments, which will make things cost a lot more for those in Idaho.
The Multi-State Lottery Association declined to comment on the decision, even as they were reached out to via email. If you are in Idaho and want to play Powerball, now is the time before it is too late!
