Illinois

Powerball, Mega Millions Sales Resume in Illinois After Budget Deal

After the Illinois House came to an agreement on a new state budget on Thursday, lottery players got some excellent news. 

According to a statement issued by the Illinois Lottery, ticket sales for both the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots will resume in the state in the wake of the budget deal, which was finalized in a special session on Thursday. 

"The Illinois Lottery is pleased to announce that sales of Mega Millions and Powerball have resumed," Acting Director Greg Smith said in a statement. "We appreciate the loyalty of our players and retail partners as we continue our mission to fund K-12 education." 

Sales for both games, which are conducted nationally, were suspended when the fiscal year ended without a budget deal in place. The games each give Illinois significant revenues, and their suspension caused a wave of controversy over the legislature's inability to reach a compromise on the state's budget. 

The Illinois Lottery also announced that the delay on prize payouts, which had been instituted as a result of the budget impasse, has been lifted. 

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