SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The budget battle in Illinois is putting a crimp on the state lottery.
Illinois lottery officials say they will have to issue IOUs to anyone winning more than $600.
The lottery starting issuing IOUs to those winning more than $25,000 in July, but that threshold was lowered.
The problem?
The lottery says it currently has no legal authority to issue checks, despite having the money to do so.
Officials say the payments will be made once a state budget is passed. Illinois’ last state budget expired back in June and it is not clear when a new one will go into law.
Meanwhile, two recent Illinois lottery winners filed a class-action suit against the lottery last month. They are demanding their prizes be immediately rewarded with interest.
