Online lottery usage jumps 50%
Profits delivered to the Peach State reached a record high of $1.24bn in the budget year ending June 30, said the Georgia Lottery Corporation.
Georgia’s record lottery haul for fiscal year 2020 comes despite sales dipping in March following the start of COVID-19 restrictions, reported Associated Press. Georgia Lottery Corp. vice president Brad Bohannon stated that use of the lottery’s online options had jumped 50% in April and early May, as Georgians were able to purchase tickets and play gambling games at home.
profited from most of its retailers staying open”
The lottery said Tuesday that it also profited from most of its retailers staying open when other forms of entertainment were scarce. Even though the state’s lawmakers continue to dismiss legalizing sports wagering or casino gambling in Georgia, it’s the ninth consecutive year that the lottery has posted sales and profit records.
Pandemic power players
President and CEO of Georgia Lottery Corp. Gretchen Corbin highlighted the record $1.5bn jackpot MegaMillions multistate lottery, which she said fueled huge sales in 2019. Corbin also stated that her team was “laser focused on delivering the greatest amount possible to the state” despite COVID-19 challenges.
more than $22.3bn in proceeds
Since the Georgia Lottery’s inception, more than $22.3bn in proceeds has funded scholarships at state colleges, universities and technical colleges, in addition to providing financial assistance for four-year-old preschoolers.
Lawmakers in the Peach State originally asked agencies to examine cuts in education spending. However, as lottery sales rebounded, it was decided to leave the funding intact.
Lotteries as beacons of hope
Georgia’s isn’t the only state lottery to bounce back from the pandemic. As reported by The Tribune-Democrat, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Lottery Ewa Dworakowski said the state has seen “a surge in players turning to the Lottery’s online games.”
Pennsylvania iLottery was averaging $3m in sales a day
During the shutdown, the Pennsylvania iLottery was averaging $3m in sales a day. “Online play increased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now about 24% ahead of estimate for the fiscal year,” Dworakowski added.