23-7-402. (Temporary) Disposition of revenue. (1) A minimum of 45% of the money paid for tickets or chances must be paid out as prize money. The prize money is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, to the lottery.
(2) Commissions paid to lottery ticket or chance sales agents are not a state lottery operating expense.
(3) Lottery contractor fees, which are fees paid to contracted lottery vendors based on sales, must be paid from the state lottery enterprise fund. The money to pay lottery contractor fees is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, to the lottery.
(4) (a) Except as provided in subsection (4)(b), that part of all gross revenue not used for the payment of prizes, commissions, and operating expenses, together with the interest earned on the gross revenue while the gross revenue is in the enterprise fund, is net revenue. Net revenue must be transferred quarterly from the enterprise fund established by 23-7-401 to the state general fund. Once the amount of net revenue transferred to the general fund during a fiscal year equals the amount transferred to the general fund in fiscal year 2015, any additional net revenue must be transferred to the Montana STEM scholarship program special revenue account established in 20-26-617.
(b) For fiscal year 2016, prior to any net revenue being transferred to the general fund from the enterprise fund, $400,000 of net revenue must be transferred from the enterprise fund to the Montana STEM scholarship special revenue account established in 20-26-617 for the purpose of distributing STEM scholarships pursuant to 20-26-614 through 20-26-617 during the 2015-2016 school year.
(5) The spending authority of the lottery may be increased in accordance with this section upon review and approval of a revised operation plan by the office of budget and program planning. (Terminates June 30, 2019--sec. 3, Ch. 2, L. 2013.)