The Pennsylvania Lottery revenue numbers for the 2017-18 fiscal year were just released, and the news is good. Very, very good.
A look at the lottery’s record-breaking year
The fiscal year ran from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018. During that time the Lottery recorded $4.2 billion in traditional game sales. That number represents a 4.6 percent increase over last year’s figure of $4.13 billion.
More sales mean more winners. The Pennsylvania Lottery paid out more the $2.7 billion to players over the course of the year. That represents a five percent increase and $145.5 million more than last year. Additionally, the Lottery made 67 players millionaires.
When sales grow and more winners are paid, Lottery retailers benefit. Over 9,300 licensed Lottery retailers shared in $224.1 million in sales commissions. That figure grew by 5.6 percent over last years commission total.
In a press release, Lottery Executive Director, Drew Svitko commented on the remarkable year:
“These encouraging results show that our ongoing modernization efforts are succeeding. With the Lottery facing increased competition from sports wagering, mini-casinos and other new forms of gambling, we must continue to work hard to grow revenues to benefit older Pennsylvanians.”
How the different lottery games fared
Scratch-off games continue to drive the majority of lottery revenue. The games set a new sales record this year and accounted for over 67 percent of total sales.
Fast Play reported its first full year of sales and exceeded projections by 14 percent. Additionally, in May, Keno and the new iLottery interactive games both launched. They are already making an impact with just a few months of sales numbers behind them.
“It’s important to note that two new products, Keno, and iLottery, also contributed to our success, although both were launched toward the end of the fiscal year,” Svitko said.
Here are sales by game type:
- Scratch-Offs: $2.8 billion, up 3.6 percent from last year
- Draw Games: $1.25 billion, up 2.9 percent from last year
- Fast Play: $114.4 million
- Keno: $7.6 million
- iLottery: $20.8 million
Draw Games include both multi-state and Match 6 games. Multi-state games grew by nearly $55 million, and Match 6 by over $33.7 million.
The Lottery Fund is $1 billion richer
For every dollar in lottery sales:
- $0.65 goes to the winners
- $0.26 goes to the Lottery Fund
- $0.07 goes to Lottery retailers as a commission
- $0.02 goes towards operating expenses
The record-breaking sales figures generated enough revenue to contribute $1.1 billion towards the Lottery Fund, benefitting older Pennsylvanians.
That figure is good for a 4.3 percent increase over last year. It is also the seventh-straight year that more than $1 billion made its way to the Lottery Fund thanks to the lottery-playing public.
Svitko touts the accomplishment, saying:
“We’re proud that this was the seventh consecutive year that we exceeded $1 billion in proceeds to benefit older adults. I’m grateful for the support of our players, business partners and the entire Lottery team for making this record year possible.”
To date, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed $29 billion to the Lottery Fund benefitting such programs as:
- Property tax and rent rebates
- Free and reduced-fare transportation services
- Low-cost prescription programs PACE and PACENET
- Eldercare services
The Pennsylvania Lottery is proud to be the only state lottery where all of the proceeds go directly to programs that benefit its aging population.
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