Gov. Mead Signs Lottery Bill Into Law

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming residents can start dreaming about hitting the big one.

Gov. Matt Mead on Wednesday signed into law a bill allowing the state to create a lottery or join a multi-state lottery, such as Powerball.

Mead says he's personally lukewarm about a lottery. But he was persuaded by the prospect of Wyoming benefiting from money that state residents have been spending on lottery tickets in surrounding states.

Under the law, the first $6 million in proceeds from the lottery will go to local governments. Any proceeds over that amount would go to a public school foundation fund.

Mead will appoint a nine-member board to oversee the quasi-governmental corporation that will run the lottery. It'll take about a year to get the lottery up and running.