27-01-2025
Wisconsin homeowners can claim a tax credit from the lottery. How to make sure you're not missing out
The Wisconsin Lottery saw record high overall ticket sales of $981.7 million in 2023, its most recent financial report shows. About a third of that — or $319.7 million — went to property tax relief.
Since lottery tickets first went on sale in Wisconsin in 1988, the state constitution has required that all net proceeds go towards reducing property tax bills.
But that relief isn't automatically applied. Since 1999, property owners have been required to apply for the lottery and gaming credit in order to receive it.
Many homeowners are already receiving the credit on their bill because a previous owner applied in the past. But if you're a property owner who has never seen the lottery credit applied to your bill, you may still need to sign up.
Here's who qualifies for the credit and how to apply.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, you must be a Wisconsin resident who uses their property as their primary residence to be eligible for the Lottery and Gaming Credit Program.
Property owners can only claim one primary residence, which cannot include business property, rental units or vacant land, state law says.
State Lottery Director Cindy Polzin said 1.5 million property owners received the lottery and gaming credit in 2023.
First, check your property tax bill to see if you're already getting the lottery credit. Once a property owner secures the tax credit, it stays with the property year after year, even after it is sold.
If you don't see the credit, you must submit an application to receive the credit by Jan. 31. The application is available on the Department of Revenue's online portal.
If you miss the Jan. 31 deadline, you can also file a late claim application at the same portal.
Polzin said the estimated average lottery and gaming credit on property tax bills issued in December 2024 is $213.
The amount of funds available for the lottery and gaming credit is determined in November every year, the Wisconsin Lottery's financial report explains.
To calculate how much each homeowner receives, the Department of Revenue calculates a "maximum credit value" based on available funds and the number of qualifying properties. Then, the department multiplies the maximum credit value (or the property's value, whichever is lower) by the local school tax rate.
Prior to 1999, the lottery credit automatically appeared on tax bills because it was given to all property owners in the state, including out-of-state owners and businesses.
But that year, voters amended the state constitution to restrict lottery profits to only Wisconsin residents.
Since then, homeowners have been required to fill out a form to verify that their property is their primary residence.
Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter. She can be emailed at QClark@ Follow her on Twitter at @Quinn_A_Clark.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How the Wisconsin lottery credit can lower your property tax bill
