Illinois sitting on upward of $80 million in unpaid lottery winnings, attorney says
Amid budget gridlock, Illinois lottery winners sue to have their winnings paid with interest and to prevent the state from selling more tickets it can’t pay out.
Illinois is holding upward of $80 million in lottery winnings – that’s what Tom Zimmerman, the attorney representing Illinoisans who have not yet received their winnings in a lawsuit against the state, shared with radio reporter Greg Bishop.
“Zimmerman said a federal judge entered an order [Dec. 2] that tells the state to segregate winnings and interest on those winnings in a separate fund to ensure the funds aren’t used elsewhere,” according to Bishop.
Zimmerman has two clients: One with a winning ticket worth $50,000 and another winner with a ticket worth $250,000, filed a lawsuit Sept. 9 seeking to stop Illinois from selling tickets for winnings it can’t pay out, according to The Wall Street Journal.
They’re wondering what many other people across the state are asking themselves: If Illinois can’t pay out lottery winnings, why is the state continuing to sell lottery tickets?
Nobody seems to have a good answer to that question, though there is an effort afoot to pay lottery winners. The Illinois House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 2039 on Dec. 2, which would allot funds to get lottery winners their money. That bill now moves to the Illinois Senate, which will meet on Dec. 7.
Regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit and the Senate vote on SB 2039, the state should stop selling tickets with prize values it can’t pay out. Otherwise, those who thought winning tickets were about to change their lives will continue to be left hanging.
Unfortunately for Illinoisans, lottery payments aren’t the only commitment the state isn’t keeping.
The new fiscal year began July 1, and with it came the duty for politicians to pass a balanced budget. The Illinois General Assembly did pass a state budget in May, but it was unbalanced to the tune of $4 billion, and the governor vetoed it. Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed legislation that funds Illinois schools, and many other state spending items have been mandated by consent decrees or pushed piecemeal through the courts.
But Illinoisans across the state continue to suffer as many in the General Assembly refuse to do the right thing and pass a balanced budget the state can afford, instead of resorting to deficit spending. With more than $100 billion in government-worker pension debt and $6.7 billion in unpaid bills, more of the same won’t work.
Rauner expects that the state won’t have a budget until January 2016.