A Georgia Senate study committee has suggested creating new scratch-off lottery tickets in which the proceeds would directly support military veteran services and programs.
To date, six states offer lottery games that help support veterans’ services for things like mental health counseling, job training, housing assistance and meal programs for disabled veterans, according to Gainesville Times.
The Georgia Lottery Corporation celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. The corporation was created under the leadership of former Georgia Gov. Zell Miller.
The lottery has created billions in revenue from scratch-and-win prizes at convenience shops and money-ball drawings on television, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute found.
A portion of lottery sales proceeds go towards public education like the HOPE scholarship and grants, which helps make a college education more affordable for in-state students. Revenue left over covers overhead, winner payouts or goes to a reserve fund.
State legislation to expand Georgia’s lottery to support veterans has been in discussion since 2013, but nothing has yet been determined, the Senate committee reported.
Similar legislation in Florida, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont has failed in recent years.
