Voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment creating the Louisiana Lottery Corp. in October 1990, with 69 percent in favor of the proposal. Recognizing the business nature of the new lottery, the legislature gave it corporate status in the enabling legislation. The Lottery opened for business on September 6, 1991, when it offered its first scratch game, Louisiana Treasures.
The Lottery’s first draw game, Lotto, launched on January 22, 1992, with a $2 million starting jackpot. Pick 3 followed on August 31, offering daily draws. Powerball arrived in March 1995. These games remain in the product mix, along with Mega Millions, Easy 5 and Pick 4.
The Louisiana Lottery was impacted by one-two punch of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, losing some 900 retailer locations in the immediate aftermath of Katrina and another 300 after Rita.
By statute, the Louisiana Lottery must transfer 35 percent of all revenue to state programs, and as a result it ranks first among U.S. lotteries in the percentage of revenue transferred to its government.
Originally, Lottery proceeds were sent to the state’s General Fund. In 2003, voters approved another constitutional amendment to dedicate Lottery proceeds to the Minimum Foundation Program, which funds K-12 public education in the state.
The change was effective July 1, 2004. In addition, the first $500,000 in annual lottery proceeds are earmarked for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals-Office of Behavioral Health to fund problem gambling programs.