The N.C. Education Lottery raised the most money ever for education programs in fiscal year 2019, setting a new record of $708.3 million.

The $708 million, up $38 million from the amount raised the year before, means that on average the lottery generated more than $1.9 million a day for education, according to final but unaudited results.

The additional dollars support education programs in all 100 counties of the state, as determined each year by legislators in the state budget. This year, the extra dollars helped:
• Build and repair schools.
• Make college more affordable through scholarships and grants based on financial need.
• Support school systems with the costs of school workers and transportation.
• Provide a free academic preschool to four-year-olds.

“The fun of lottery games raises money that supports the dreams of students across our state, from four-year-olds in our preschools to students at our universities and community colleges,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the Education Lottery. “The lottery gives North Carolinians the chance to win prizes from games ranging from scratch-off tickets to Powerball and along the way we raise additional dollars for a great cause.”

The money raised came from $2.86 billion in lottery ticket sales, up from $2.6 billion the year before. The lottery’s performance continues its record of increasing sales every year of its operations. A recent performance audit described the lottery’s performance in the U.S. lottery industry as “exceptional” and praised its prudent “cost-benefit approach” to monitoring its expenses.

Retailers across the state earned $199 million in commissions from lottery ticket sales, $17 million more than the year before. With 7,049 retail locations, the commissions play an important role in the state’s retail economy.

At the end of the year, the lottery’s total contribution to the state since inception in March 2006 exceeded $6.6 billion.