A new bill in Arizona is making the rounds through the state legislature. HB 2024 would deposit $50 million into the state’s On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Fund over fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The money would come from the Arizona Lottery Fund, should the bill be approved.
This means some revenue from state lottery options like draw lottery games and keno would go toward this good cause.
HB 2024 passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 26, bringing it one step closer to becoming law.
Where Arizona Lottery funds currently go
The text of HB 2024 outlines the distribution of lottery funds in Arizona, which it dubs a “waterfall:”
“The distribution…is ordered to provide funding for the lottery revenue bond debt service, then $84,150,000 for the state General Fund (GF), followed by $10,000,000 for the Game and Fish Heritage fund, $23,966,800 for health and welfare programs in fiscal year 2024…$1,000,000 for homeless shelters, a further $15,490,000 for the GF, $3,5000,000 for the Arizona Competes Fund, followed by up to 80% of university capital improvement debt service costs and, finally, the remaining balance is deposited into the GF.”
Should HB 2024 pass, $50 million in funds would be directed to the On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Fund during 2025 and 2026. The program provides grants to farmers to help them buy and install approved irrigation systems shown to save 20% of water used in farming.
Other lottery developments coming to Arizona
In a separate corner of the AZ lottery space is Jackpocket, an online lottery courier service offered to players in the state. Jackpocket allows players to purchase tickets from an app for a small fee, then has dedicated runners who purchase the tickets at a retail location and funnel winnings (or a winning ticket) directly to customers.
Last week, Jackpocket announced Super Pick, a new feature that makes selecting Mega Millions or Powerball numbers easier. Super Pick auto-creates quick picks for special ball numbers and regular draws, covering every number at least once.
Photo by PlayiLottery
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