July 31, 2008 — The V.I. Lottery will generate about $9 million for the V.I. government this coming year, said Lenyse Shomo, acting executive director of the lottery, during Senate budget hearings Thursday.
Senators also heard budget testimony Thursday from the Office of the Adjutant General.
The V.I. Lottery generates revenue for the government by running the traditional state lottery and from contracts with Southland Gaming for video-lottery terminals and Caribbean Lottery Services for the Powerball lottery.
"The lottery is self-governing and self-financing," Shomo said. "Hence it is not a part of the regular budget."
But it does generate money. For 2009, the lottery is expected to generate $9 million, while Southland Gaming's video-lottery terminals, combined with Caribbean Lottery Services, are expected to generate another $13.9 million, according to the figures provided by the Legislature's post audit.
Total revenues should be $23.1 million, about $2 million more than the fiscal 2008 estimate of $21.million, Shomo said.
Out of those revenues, $7.5 million will go to prizes and $6.6 million for operating expenses. The remaining $9 million will be divided among a variety of special funds.
In the afternoon, the Office of the Adjutant General defended its 2009 budget request of $2.3 million. Adjutant General Renaldo Rivera oversees the V.I. National Guard (VING), V.I. Office of Homeland Security (VIOH) and the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA).
Some of that funding pays the salaries of civilian employees, and goes toward renovations and upkeep of buildings and vehicles. Some is local matching funds for larger federal grants.
The bulk of VING, VITEMA and VIOHS funding comes from federal sources, National Guard officials said. This year the territory will receive nearly $30 million for training and support of Army and Air National Guard troops.
The $2.3 million contribution from the V.I. government's General Fund will primarily pay for building renovation and maintenance and the salaries of civilian employees. Certain amounts of matching local funds are necessary to receive federal building-maintenance funds.
In addition to the National Guard functions as an adjunct to the U.S. military, VING has a drug-education program in the schools, coordinates with police drug-interdiction efforts, maintains readiness to respond to a hazardous-material situation and — along with VITEMA — has training, manpower and equipment to assist in the aftermath of a hurricane or other natural calamity.
Present were Sens. Liston A. Davis, Juan Figueroa-Serville, Neville James, James Weber III, Ronald Russell, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Louis P. Hill and Usie R. Richards. Sen. Carlton "Ital" Dowe was absent.
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