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Before lottery proceeds can be given to the VFW or American Legion, a state constitutional amendment would need to be approved by voters. The lottery law passed in 1986 mandated that revenues after costs and prizes be designated for the <\/span>State Education Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nTo date, the Florida Lottery has contributed over $32 billion to that fund. The EETF provides money for books and supplies in public schools, as well as secondary education tuition assistance through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nApples and Oranges?<\/h2>\n
Critics to altering where lottery money now goes argue that allocating funds for veterans groups would mean fewer scholarships for deserving students. Helmich disagrees, opining that should the lottery introduce a game designated specifically for the benefit of vets, overall revenues would grow.<\/span><\/p>\n“It can be a scratch-off, it can be a separate pool, it’s however the lottery wants to do it. And then the money \u2026 would be up to the legislature on how to disperse it,” Helmich explained. <\/span><\/p>\nNumerous states already use part of their lottery money to fund veteran nonprofits: Iowa, Oregon, Kansas, Texas, and Illinois, to name a few. But lobbyist Frank Mirabella, who helped lead the campaign to authorize the Florida Lottery back in the 1980s, believes the use of funds shouldn’t change.<\/span><\/p>\n\n“There’s lots of kids that can’t go to college. If they took those funds away from education, many more kids would not go to college,” Mirabella stated. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n