Lottery Ticket Sales Up; State Education Contributions Too

July 8, 2011

Lottery ticket sales in Florida topped $4 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, giving the Lottery its best sales year since 2007-2008, Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell said.

The sales, which increased 2.8 percent over the year before, will put about $1.1 billion in the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, up about $12 million from the previous year.

One area where people bought a lot of Lottery tickets was the Panhandle – hard hit by last year’s oil spill. O’Connell, however, said the increase was related new games that were designed to boost ticket sales. Ticket sales had dropped during the recession.

The agency has set a goal of $4.2 billion in sales for the coming fiscal year, and is aiming for a $1.25 billion contribution to the education trust fund.

Comments

6 Responses to “Lottery Ticket Sales Up; State Education Contributions Too”

  1. 429SCJ on July 9th, 2011 6:05 am

    Amen EAB! They never want to step to the side to scratch. Once they see they have lost, they want to immidiately purchase another ticket or fix, I will make comments like, I hear a lady up at Century won $10,000.00 on a scratchy yesterday. These people are truly tragic. I feel lottery and scratchies should have a designated check out line, at the sad cafe.

  2. eab on July 8th, 2011 9:48 pm

    429SCJ said…”I hate to get in line behind a lottery fiend, they slow the check out line to a halt. I would like to see Russian roulette replace lottery, unclog those lines.”

    I said…(laughs) Now *that’s* funny! I agree. One of the banes of the convience store these days is folks holding up the show while they “scratch”, seemingly convinced that they are about to find financial independence. It would appear that their retirement plan requires the participation of everyone else in line.

  3. 429SCJ on July 8th, 2011 6:34 pm

    Amen Disappointed, for some reason I seem to make a lot of fuel stops. I think the state should publish, an annual report of lottery fund expendetures. The citizens have a right to know, where the money is going.

  4. Disappointed on July 8th, 2011 4:38 pm

    Yep, lottery money should be going up somewhere because the state keeps gutting the Bright Futures college scholarship program!

    As for 429SCJ, you’re spending way too much time at the Tom Thumb!

  5. EJ on July 8th, 2011 9:55 am

    Hello, Alabama lawmakers! We could be getting the same thing.

  6. 429SCJ on July 8th, 2011 4:11 am

    I hate to get in line behind a lottery fiend, they slow the check out line to a halt. I would like to see Russian roulette replace lottery, unclog those lines.