Rep. Franks: Illinois should pay penalty to waiting lottery winners

Posted on August 29, 2015
The Illinois Comptroller's office has suspended paying any prizes worth $25,000 or more during the budget stalemate. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Illinois Lottery)
The Illinois Comptroller’s office has suspended paying any prizes worth $25,000 or more during the budget stalemate. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Illinois Lottery)

By Illinois News Network

SPRINGFIELD – Big winners of the Illinois Lottery are out of luck until a full state budget is in place and one state lawmaker says that means the state should pay winners a penalty in what’s become the latest fallout of the state not having a fully balanced budget.

A statement from the Illinois Lottery says that winners of prizes $600 or less can claim their cash at lottery retailers. If a winner’s take is under $25,000, the prize can be claimed at one of Lottery’s prize centers located in Chicago, Des Plaines, Rockford, Fairview Heights or Springfield. Anything over $25,000 is on hold.

A spokesperson for Illinois Lottery said all winners will get paid in full once the Illinois Comptroller has the legislative authority to do so. Democratic Representative Jack Franks said selling tickets and not paying is tantamount to a fraud and that the state should have to pay the waiting winners penalties for the late payments.

Franks puts the blame on the Governor saying he didn’t have to veto the appropriation for the Lottery. Officials with the comptroller’s office say they are not allowed by law to pay anything during the budget impasses without a continuing appropriation, court order or consent decree. The Comptroller’s office also says they do not have any vouchers from the lottery currently in their system.

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