For the 10th year in a row, the N.C. Education Lottery set new records in sales and earnings in fiscal year 2016, raising more than $600 million for education programs in North Carolina.

As the lottery ended its fiscal year on June 30, preliminary and unaudited results showed lottery ticket sales totaled $2.38 billion, up 20 percent from the year before. The lottery raised $607.8 million for education, up 16.5 percent from the year before.

“This record of success is possible because North Carolinians enjoy playing lottery games and support the lottery’s mission,” said Alice Garland, the lottery’s executive director. “Prizes averaged $4.1 million a day last year, providing lots of good luck to folks all across the state. The fun adds up to more than $600 million to support education that wouldn’t be there otherwise.”

Garland said the main factors contributing to the record sales were the increasing popularity of the lottery’s instant games and the world-record Powerball jackpot in January of $1.5 billion.

Final transfers of revenues to the state in June brought the lottery’s total contribution since inception to more than $4.4 billion.

During the year, prizes of $1 million or more were won 58 times, including two wins of $10 million. Total prize money won was $1.5 billion, or on average about $4.1 million a day. Many winners put their money right back to work in the economy, by paying bills, buying new houses or cars, taking vacations, saving and investing the money for retirement or college, or donating to their personal good causes.

Retailers across the state earned $167 million in commissions, up 21 percent, or $29 million. The commissions play an important role in the state’s retail economy.

Legislators decide how lottery proceeds are best used. Currently, lottery proceeds help all school systems with the costs of non-instructional staff; help counties with the costs of building and repairing schools; help North Carolina students pay the cost of going to a state university or community college, and help “at-risk” four-year-olds get a better start in school by covering the costs of attending an academic preschool in the N.C. Pre-K Program.