Ohio: Does the state have a lottery?
Ohio has a state lottery, authorized by the Ohio Constitution and run by the Ohio Lottery Commission.
Voters approved the lottery in 1973, and the first ticket, Buckeye 300, went on sale in 1974. The constitution requires all net proceeds to go to a state fund for K-12, vocational, and special education. Ohio sells the multistate Powerball and Mega Millions games.
What the law says
The General Assembly may authorize an agency of the state to conduct lotteries, to sell rights to participate therein, and to award prizes by chance to participants provided that the entire net proceeds of any such lottery are paid into a fund of the state treasury that shall consist solely of such proceeds and shall be used solely for the support of elementary, secondary, vocational, and special education programs as determined in appropriations made by the General Assembly.
Sources
- Ohio Constitution, Art. XV, § 6 Official · codes.ohio.gov
- Ohio Rev. Code § 3770.01 (State lottery commission) Official · codes.ohio.gov
- Ohio Lottery: About the Ohio Lottery Official · ohiolottery.com
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Ohio Lottery Commission
- Website
- ohiolottery.com
How bordering states compare
- Indiana Has a state lotteryIndiana runs a state lottery, the Hoosier Lottery, which has operated since 1989.
- Kentucky Has a state lotteryKentucky runs a state lottery through the Kentucky Lottery Corporation, created by state law in 1988.
- Michigan Has a state lotteryYes. Michigan runs a state lottery under the 1972 lottery act, with net revenue going to the state School Aid Fund.
- Pennsylvania Has a state lotteryPennsylvania has a state lottery, and it is the only one that sends all its proceeds to programs for older residents.
- West Virginia Has a state lotteryYes. West Virginia has a state-operated lottery run by the State Lottery Commission.