Liquor and lottery revenues rise in FY24 but commissioner flags long-term decline; online sports wagering yields mixed results

Wendy, commissioner of the Department of Liquor and Lottery, told the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee that fiscal 2024 lottery sales totaled about $169,000,000, allowing a $35,000,000 transfer to the education fund, and liquor-control receipts reached roughly $103,000,000 with $21,200,000 transferred to the general fund.

The department’s liquor revenues come largely from the state-branded 802 Spirit stores, licensing fees and enforcement penalties; lottery receipts reflect ticket sales less prize payouts, operating expenses and long-term liabilities such as pensions and OPEB. “We are running businesses,” Wendy said. “We are not in the business. The department does not promote the consumption of alcohol. We just make it alcohol available.”

Why it matters: The transfers fund core state services and education; policymakers and committee members pressed the department to explain trends that could alter future transfers.

Key details and trends

- Liquor and spirit-store sales: Commissioner Wendy said the “bulk” of liquor-control revenue is sales through the 802 Spirit stores, supplemented by licensing and fee income. For FY24, the department reported roughly $103 million in liquor-control receipts and $21.2…