Big lottery winners in Illinois not getting paid due to state budget issues

A big lottery win should be a joyous time, but for some in Illinois, it's become a frustrating one.

According to the Chicago Tribune, payouts exceeding $25,000 have been temporarily suspended in the state due to its lack of an approved budget.

Whereas amounts up to $600 are paid by the retailer and prizes up to $25,000 are handled by lottery centers, larger winnings are handled by the comptroller's office. At this time, it lacks the legal authority to issue lottery payments.

This delay has understandably riled jackpot ticket holders like Danny Chasteen whose $250,000 scratch-off ticket was submitted for payment more than a month ago.

He contends, "I should get the money when it's due to me. I shouldn't have to wait for some budget to be settled."

His girlfriend Susan Rick also argues that if they owed the state money, there would be no similar understanding about a delay in payment due to their finances.

Despite an uncertain timeline, the Illinois Lottery recently issued a statement assuring the public that winners would be paid in full once the comptroller gets approval.

The number of affected people or prize amounts is unknown.