Lotterywest
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1933 as Lotteries Commission of Western Australia |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Western Australia |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | www.lotterywest.wa.gov.au |
Lotterywest established in 1932 (formally known as Lotteries Commission of Western Australia), runs the lottery in Western Australia. It held its first lottery and made its first grants distribution in March 1933.
Lotterywest sells lottery tickets and "instant win" Scratch'n’Win tickets through a network of newsagents and other authorised retailers. It sells national lottery games including Saturday Lotto, Super66, Oz Lotto, Powerball, Soccer Pools, Monday and Wednesday lotto; it also administers the locally run Cash 3 game.
After some of the money wagered on Lotterywest's games is returned to players as prize money, and operating costs and retailer commission are covered, the balance of the money is returned to the Western Australian community. This amounts to 33 cents in every dollar spent on Lotterywest products being returned to Western Australia. The state's hospitals and health services, the Department of Sport and Recreation and the Department of Culture and the Arts are beneficiaries of Lotterywest funding as prescribed in the Lotteries Commission Act. As well as these beneficiaries, Lotterywest makes grants directly available to not-for-profit community groups and local government authorities for charitable and benevolent purposes. Lotterywest directly supports the annual Perth International Arts Festival and local screen funding body ScreenWest.