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Idaho cut its Powerball lottery on Wednesday after a proposal to allow other countries to participate.
The Idaho House of State Committee of State repealed a law that would have changed the current Idaho law that only allows lotteries in their state to be played by those in the United States and Canada, The Associated Press reported.
Powerball is expanding and allowing those in Great Britain and Australia to play, which would make the sale of Powerball lottery tickets illegal by Idaho law. The legislation was intended to overturn the law so that the state could continue to sell Powerball lottery tickets.
The legislation was defeated 10-4, with Republicans and Democrats wary of allowing other countries to enter the fold.
Idaho Lottery officials argue it could hurt state revenues and affect the amount of money the Idaho school system would receive, which would be drawn from the lottery.
Powerball lottery tickets bring the state $ 28 million in sales, and $ 14 million of the money from those sales goes to schools.
“My concern is the delegation of authority, and essentially the transfer of our sovereignty to this multi-state lottery association,” said Democratic Representative Chris Mathias. “I think we should be concerned that they might be persuaded, that they might come under massive pressure from countries that we’re not particularly friends with.”
Jeff Anderson, director of the Idaho Lottery, tried to tell lawmakers ahead of the vote that countries like China would never join the Powerball Lottery, according to the Associated Press.
“What we have is 32 years of power for Idahoans to voluntarily participate in a lottery game of their choice,” Anderson said after the law was struck down. “Thirty-two years is fine, now it isn’t. It is very disturbing.
The last Powerball draw will take place in August.
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