North Carolina has one of the United States' youngest lottery systems, having been enacted in 2005.[1] The North Carolina State Lottery Act created the 9-member Lottery commission who was charged with overseeing all aspects of the education lottery.[1] 100% of North Carolina Lottery net proceeds go directly to benefit the state's education, with the current figure sitting at more than $10 billion since its inception in 2006.[1] By law, lottery funds go to pay for school construction, need-based college financial aid, transportation, salaries for non-instructional support staff, and pre-kindergarten for at-risk four-year-olds.[1] The State Lottery Act outlines how each and every dollar produced by the lottery will be spent. [1] The revenue distributions are as follows: 51% was paid out in prizes, 38% was transferred into the education fund, 7% was paid to the retailers who sold lottery tickets, and 4% went to general lottery expenses.[1]
The controversial lottery proposal was approved on August 31, 2005, after then-Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue cast a tie-breaking vote in the North Carolina Senate.