Senate Bill 2078 - Mississippi Lottery for Education

• Creates a state lottery called the Mississippi Lottery for Education to be administered by the Mississippi Gaming Commission, with counties able to elect participation.

• Allocates lottery proceeds as follows: 45% for prize money, a reasonable percentage for commission administrative costs, 4% to participating counties, and remainder to Mississippi's Hope Scholarship Trust Fund.

• Establishes Mississippi's Hope Scholarship Trust Fund to provide tuition awards to Mississippi students with a 3.0+ GPA attending eligible in-state colleges, with annual awards covering full tuition costs.

• Exempts lottery ticket sales from state sales tax and amends gambling statutes to exclude state-authorized lotteries from criminal penalties for illegal gambling and lottery operations.

• Takes effect July 1, 2015, with lottery administration details including retailer licensing, ticket sales procedures, and game guidelines to be determined by the Gaming Commission.