The proceeds of the Lottery go to the Minimum Foundation Program that funds public education in Louisiana.
The Lottery offers full and part-time employment in a total of 6 different cities in the State of Louisiana.
In 1868, a group of entrepreneurs began a private business, the Louisiana State Lottery Company.
The company invited Confederate generals and adopted an elaborate mechanical system for its monthly draws.
[1] After the Civil War, there was a decline in state-sponsored lotteries due to the national backlash against gambling.
Due to the Lottery's unique operations, the Legislature recognized a corporate structure would suit it best.
In 2003, voters passed another constitutional amendment to dedicate Lottery proceeds to the Minimum Foundation Program that funds public education in Louisiana.
Each member is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Louisiana Senate before beginning a four-year term.
To ensure the highest level of accountability, the following have varying degrees of oversight over the corporation, including its budget, drawings and administrative rules.
In addition to an annual "clean bill of health" from the Legislative Auditor, the LLC continues to receive national recognition for excellence in financial reporting.
Operating solely from self-generated revenue, the Lottery contributes more than $100 million yearly to the Minimum Foundation Program that funds public education in Louisiana.
The Lottery employs a total of about 140 people (full-time and part-time) in its downtown Baton Rouge headquarters, distribution center, as well as in its regional offices in New Orleans, Lafayette, Alexandria, Shreveport, and Monroe.
Regional staff process and pay winning tickets and support Lottery retailers, including training, monitoring product inventory and point-of-sale opportunities, assisting with in-store promotions resolving problems, explain new games and changes, and ensuring compliance with Lottery rules.
Operational management functions, including sales, accounting, auditing, marketing, public relations, human resources, security, and information systems, are conducted from the Lottery's corporate headquarters.
The Lottery's distribution center oversees inventory management and instant ticket order fulfillment.
In addition, the first $500,000 in annual Lottery proceeds are earmarked for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals-Office of Addictive Disorders to fund problem gambling programs.
More than 2,700 businesses in Louisiana earn a 5 percent commission on the sale of Lottery products as licensed retailers.
In addition to revenue from commission, retailers earn an incentive of up 2 percent for cashing winning tickets up to $600.
The US and Louisiana governments consider winnings from all forms of gaming to be income for tax purposes.
The following are the minimum qualifications to be considered for a retailer license: Drawings for Louisiana-based games are conducted at Lottery headquarters in downtown Baton Rouge.
Automated drawing machines are stand-alone computers that are essentially random number generators that are completely separate from the system that generates tickets, so the number of winners and where the winning tickets were sold is not known until after the drawing has occurred.
Louisiana-based drawings are held every evening, except on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, beginning at approximately 9:30 pm, after confirming that client sales have ceased and are verified.
The public is welcome to attend any drawing, but must reserve a seat by contacting the Lottery during regular business hours.
The microchips are secured in the systems' central processing unit, and a protective seal makes tampering impossible.
Access to the room and machines is reliant upon a dual key and password system from a Lottery drawing official and a legislative auditor.
After both drawings are conducted, the official winning numbers generated by the system are transmitted to Louisiana Public Broadcasting, WLPB, for satellite relay to all participating television stations and are faxed to news media.
The LLC is required to report all prizes greater than $600 to the IRS and the Louisiana Department of Revenue.
The advertised Powerball jackpot represents an estimate of the annuity, which, if chosen, is paid in 30 annual installments that increase by 4 percent yearly.
Perhaps surprisingly, Louisiana did not participate in the cross-selling expansion of Mega Millions and Powerball on January 31, 2010.
A selection of 30 to 40 scratch-offs featuring Louisiana, holiday, casino, and other themes are introduced yearly.