Key points:
- Proceeds go to support the Common School Fund
- Both sales and proceeds for the year are the highest on record
The Illinois Lottery has released its annual report following its 50th anniversary celebration. The group said its annual sales exceeded the previously established high. The lottery also reported that the state has set a new lottery sales record for three consecutive years.
Both its yearly sales and the proceeds for the year surpassed the totals for the previous year, with sales reaching $3.86bn and lottery proceeds climbing to $883.6m.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker commented, “Since its inception, the Illinois Lottery has been a valuable state asset, and now 99% of proceeds go into the Common School Fund.
“We are proud this year to celebrate both the Lottery’s golden anniversary and another record year of net income, which will support our K-12 students and other good causes, such as supporting Illinois veterans and commission scholarships for the Illinois Dream Fund.”
As part of the anniversary celebration, the Illinois Lottery debuted its Celebration instant tickets that offer players second-chance drawings.
State Lottery Director Harold Mays said, “For 50 years, the Lottery has been giving Illinois residents an opportunity to play, a chance to win, while making a difference at the same time.
“As we reflect on the Lottery’s rich history and the impact it has had, we’re particularly proud to announce another year of record returns to the State of Illinois to help supplement funding for K-12 public education and the specialty causes we support in Illinois.”
The state also recently celebrated the first full month for its Hard Rock Casino Rockford permanent destination, which opened to the public at the end of August.
