GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - The Nebraska State Fair will be potentially facing budget challenges as the state lottery experiences significant revenue declines, according to a recent state audit.

A state audit found the Nebraska Lottery had a 16% decline in ticket sales and revenue. State Auditor Mike Foley said the long-term future of the state lottery proceeds seem ominous.

Fair officials said they anticipated this decline when casinos expanded in Nebraska.

“I think it’s fair to assume that people have a defined amount of entertainment dollars that they might be able to spend on gambling,“ said Jaime Parr, the executive director of the Nebraska State Fair. “So understanding that it was likely there would be some reduction in allocations right away. We hope that that evens out,”

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