OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill that would increase lottery prizes in hopes of increasing funding for education is headed to the governor’s desk.
The Senate on Tuesday passed House Bill 1837 by a vote of 36-10.
The action comes after the bill had been introduced for several years and ran into roadblocks.
But this year, the state is facing a $878 million budget hole in crafting the next fiscal year’s budget.
Current law requires the lottery to give 35 percent of its profits to education. The bill would remove that profit requirement.
It would allow the Oklahoma Lottery Commission to increase prizes, generating more sales and increasing profits that go to education, said Jay Finks, Oklahoma Lottery director of marketing and administration.