(20 ILCS 1605/21.4) Sec. 21.4. Joint Special Instant Scratch-off game. (a) The Department shall offer a joint special instant scratch-off game for the benefit of the special causes identified in Sections 21.5, 21.6, 21.7, 21.8, 21.9, 21.10, 21.11, 21.13, 21.15, and 21.16. The operation of the game shall be governed by this Section and any rules adopted by the Department. The game shall commence on January 1, 2024 or as soon thereafter, at the discretion of the Director, as is reasonably practical and shall be discontinued on January 1, 2027. If any provision of this Section is inconsistent with any other provision in the Act, then this Section governs. (b) Once the joint special instant scratch-off game is used to fund a special cause, the game will be used to fund the special cause for the remainder of the special causes' existence per the causes' respective Section of this Act. (c) New specialty tickets and causes authorized by this Act shall be funded by the joint special instant scratch-off game. New specialty tickets and causes after February 1, 2024 must have a sunset date. The Department shall be limited to supporting no more than 10 causes in total at any given time. (d) Net revenue received from the sale of the joint special instant scratch-off game for the purposes of this Section shall be divided equally among the special causes the game benefits. At the direction of the Department, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer from the State Lottery Fund the net revenue to the specific fund identified for each special cause in accordance with the special cause's respective Section in this Act. As used in this Section, "net revenue" means the total amount for which tickets have been sold less the sum of the amount paid out in prizes and to retailers, and direct and estimated administrative expenses incurred in operation of the ticket.(Source: P.A. 103-381, eff. 7-28-23; 103-574, eff. 12-8-23.) |