CHICAGO (WMBD) — The Illinois Lottery is reporting record-breaking net income during the 2023 fiscal year.
According to an Illinois Lottery news release, they announced a $882 million net income between July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. This was a 5.7% increase over the previous year.
Revenue from Mega Millions and Powerball tickets grew by $70 million. The multi-state jackpots were key sale drivers, with three jackpots worth more than $1 billion and the first $2 billion jackpot.
“A record year like this allows us to meet our mission to responsibly deliver revenue to the Common School Fund, which is the primary source for state funding of K-12 education in Illinois, in grand fashion,” said Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays. “We are proud to be able to continue doing our part to support education, knowing that almost 99% of lottery proceeds go directly to supplement education funding, and the remainder goes to other good causes.”
Gov. JB Pritzker was also excited about the money contributed to Illinois schools and other causes.
“I couldn’t be happier to join the Illinois Lottery team in celebrating a record-breaking year with $882 million in net income,” he said. “From supporting our K-12 students to providing funding for the Special Olympics and more, the Illinois Lottery continues to support our communities.”
In the 2023 fiscal year, the Illinois Lottery raised $9 million in proceeds from specialty tickets, that provided funds for the Special Olympics in Illinois, the Alzheimer’s Association in Illinois, Illinois Veterans Services, the fight against breast cancer, MS research, police memorials, HIV/AIDS support programs, and homelessness prevention.
“Our specialty ticket program allows our players to support these various causes while enjoying playing the lottery,” Mays said. “It’s great to see the impact this program has had on the various organizations that have received funding during its 17-year existence. We are so proud of it.”
The lottery also made 61 winners millionaires in the 2023 fiscal year, including one of the two tickets that split a $1.34 billion Mega Million’s jackpot bought in Des Plaines in July 2022.
More information on the Illinois Lottery is available on its website.
