Sales for most tickets, including instant games and Powerball, declined about $21 million — with October sales at roughly $215 million compared to September's approximately $236 million. The high was about $260 million in March, according to data obtained in a freedom of information request.
The figures confirm what ticket vendors at gas stations, convenience marts and grocery stores have said anecdotally for weeks about people's frustration with Illinois' budget problems.
Lottery officials announced in mid-October that anyone winning over $600 wouldn't get the money right away because the account used to pay those winnings was dwindling. That followed news in late August that payouts over $25,000 were on hold because there wasn't the authority to cut checks that big.
