The tax watchdog group Wisconsin Taypayers Alliance is out with a new report with what they say appears to be a decline in state lottery and tribal gaming revenues.
In 1987, voters amended the state Constitution to allow a state lottery, and court decisions after the vote allowed tribal gaming operations. The lottery is intended to provide property tax relief for residential properties. A WTA analysis found during the 1990's, credits to homeowners averaged about 3.5 percent. Last year that number held at 2.1 percent.
Research Director Dale Knapp says the lottery last year generated more than $155 million for tax relief. While that number is lower than the previous two years, Knapp says tribal gaming revenue is also dropping...
"...tribal gaming revenues have been declining over the past several years and we're not exactly sure what the reason for that is. But they've lagged national averages as well...."
Knapp says the administrative costs for the state lottery are about 30 percent...
"....to put that in comparison, the state collects about $12.7 billion in state sales and income taxes, the Department of Revenue spends about $50 million, or 0.4 percent of that to collect those dollars...."
The report also reveals the growth of Wisconsin revenues is lagging behind other parts of the nation.
The full report, "Has Legal Gambling Plateaued in Wisconsin?" is available through the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. Their website is at wistax.org There is some evidence that revenues from Wisconsin's Lottery and tribal gaming revenues are declining.
