The Lottery recently completed a State-mandated performance review conducted by the Office of the Auditor General. This audit took almost a year from start to finish, with several members of the Auditor’s staff starting out as “Lottery Snowbirds” and staying well into autumn.
Unlike financial audits, these reviews encompass almost every area of an agency’s operations. In the Lottery’s case, this includes whether we are meeting our statutory mandate to maximize revenue for State programs, managing our operations as efficiently as possible, and demonstrating why the Lottery is important to Arizona.
The Auditor General’s Office will publish its official findings in early March. Sometime in the fall, a legislative committee is likely to give its approval to both the report and the Lottery’s continuation. If an agency’s review is unfavorable, the consequences can be severe, up to and including an option to “sunset”, or eliminate, the agency.
While the audit’s findings are not yet official, I’m optimistic that the overall review will be positive, with the recommendations being building blocks to our continued success.
Jeff Hatch-Miller
Arizona Lottery Executive Director