Ask Axios: How do lottery taxes work?

Reader Jennifer J. asks: How is the cash flow from Powerball lottery sales handled by the Ohio Taxation Department … is it just added to the overall kitty or is it somehow flagged for specific use?

• On average, how much money does Ohio make on lottery winners' taxes every year?

👋 Tyler here. Powerball jackpots tend to draw a lot of hype, and you can be sure tax officials are paying attention, too.

State of play: Drawings are held in 45 states and feature a progressive jackpot that grows to stratospheric heights until someone finally hits.

• Ohio sold $151 million in Powerball tickets last fiscal year.

How it works: Ohio lottery winnings over $600 are taxed as income.

• If I won today's $550 million jackpot, I'd pay 24% in federal taxes, plus 4% in state taxes. (What a pity.)

What they're saying: It's difficult to know just how much Ohio's tax coffers benefit from lottery winnings.

• The Ohio Lottery Commission doesn't track that figure and the Department of Taxation doesn't isolate income taxes generated from the lottery, their spokespeople tell me.
• Also, there's no special fund for lottery taxes paid.

Yes, but: Ohio Lottery sales — money the state generates from all players — are a different story.

• After operating expenses, prize pay-outs and sales commissions, the net Powerball proceeds go to the Lottery Profits Education Fund.
• The state reported paying $1.4 billion to the fund last year and has contributed $31 billion to education causes to date.