Alaska discusses lottery creation

The governor of Alaska wants to create a lottery and sparked mixed reactions among state lawmakers despite its popularity nationwide.

US.- Most states in the US have their own state lotteries up and running. However, Alaska is still struggling to get a lottery, but that may soon change.

Alaska governor Mike J. Dunleavy wants a lottery to act as a revenue generator. 

“Forty-five states have lotteries in place,” the governor said. “It’s past time for Alaskans visitors to have the option to individually contribute to fixing Alaska’s fiscal issue.”

While Sen. Steve Thompson celebrated the idea of a new state lottery in Alaska, others show concern.

“I have grave concerns,” said Sen. Jesse Kiehl of Juneau. “Lotteries almost exclusively make their funding from the lowest-income people.”

Nebraska looks into lottery changes

Winning the lottery may be a blessing but it can also turn into a headache. That’s why Nebraska is considering changing lottery rules and allowing winners to preserve their anonymity.

Sen. Tom Brandt is pushing the bill to help lottery winners of prizes worth more than US$300k.

“I do think the ability to remain anonymous will allow the winners to hold onto a sense of normalcy. Thus, they’ll remain in the Good Life,” Brandt said.

Should the bill pass, Nebraska would be the 8th state to change lottery rules to protect winners’ identities.