$4.5 Million in Wages at the Illinois Lottery

In 2008, Illinois Department of Revenue paid 99 individuals $4,532,260.80 to work on the Illinois lottery.  66 of these individuals were employed as lottery sales representatives and were paid a combined total of $3,372,704.36 in wages.  53 of the employees made over $50,000 per year, with the highest paid employee, a lottery regional coordinator, making $68,662.11 in 2008.

Approximately 3% of all lottery purchases go towards administrative costs while 30% go towards providing state aid to schools.  Any steps to reign in administrative costs will put money directly into the hands of schools.

The IDR is responsible for maintaining “the integrity of the State’s Lottery,” regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages and collecting the state taxes.

You can find this information for yourself by going to IllinoisOpenGov.org, clicking on “Payroll” and searching “Department of Revenue” under the “Department” heading.