Speaking of having money to burn, state lottery boss Norm Lingle told the Lottery Commission last Thursday that South Dakotans are paying more voluntary taxes via video lottery and Powerball:
Lottery director Norm Lingle said Thursday that video lottery will generate about $169.5 million for state government’s general fund during the 2026 fiscal year, which ends June 30.
That’s a 2.8% increase from 2025, according to Lingle.
It would be a record amount.
…He said jackpot draw games sales climbed to $35 million, up 35.2%, and provide state government with about $9.5 million in net proceeds. He said sales were helped by two $1 billion jackpots.
“The jackpot gods were with us,” Lingle said [Bob Mercer, “Video Lottery Produces More Than Ever for State Treasury,” KELO-TV, 2026.06.12].
South Dakotans aren’t itching to scratch lottery tickets quite as much. Lingle expects FY2026 instant tickets to yield $46.6 million for the state, down 1.72% compared to FY2025.