| Here at the Virginia Lottery, we take playing very seriously. Fun matters. Excitement matters. And so does the education of Virginia's youngest residents. It's the very reason we play so enthusiastically. Every time you scratch a ticket or pick your numbers for the big jackpot, you are creating winners in education all over the Commonwealth. Last year alone, the Lottery contributed over $487 million to Virginia's public schools. What better reason to get in the game? |
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Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been
used
for
public education in the Commonwealth, for kindergarten through 12th grade.
In Fiscal Year 2012, the Virginia Lottery had sales of
more than $1.6 billion. Of this total, the Lottery
generated a record $487.1 million, or 30.1%, for public education
grades K-12; 59.9% went back to players in
the form of prizes; 5.6% went to the retailers who sell Virginia Lottery tickets, and 4.8% went to operational expenses.
To view the FY12 Annual Financial
Report, click here.
When Virginians voted in 1987 for a state-operated lottery, many made the assumption that they voted on how to spend the Lottery's proceeds. This was not the case. The lottery proceeds, which are approximately one-third of lottery sales, were to be used as determined by the General Assembly. The use of the proceeds has changed over time. In 1989, lottery proceeds were dedicated to capital construction projects. From 1990 to 1998, the lottery proceeds were transferred to the state's General Fund. Starting in 1999, a state budget amendment sent lottery proceeds to local public school divisions to be used solely for educational purposes. In the year 2000, more than 80% of Virginia voters said yes to the creation of the State Lottery Proceeds Fund. The measure, now a permanent part of Virginia's Constitution, directs all Virginia Lottery profits be used solely for educational purposes.
 |
Fiscal
Year |
Sales |
Prizes |
Retailer
Compensation |
Operating
Expenses |
Proceeds* |
| 2012 |
$1.616 b |
$962.3 m |
$90.7 m |
$77.9 m |
$487.1 m |
| 2011 |
$1.482 b |
$881.0 m |
$83.8 m |
$74.9 m |
$444.2 m |
| 2010 |
$1.435 b |
$852.7 m |
$80.4 m |
$73.8 m |
$430.2 m |
| 2009 |
$1.365 b |
$781.0 m |
$76.9 m |
$73.7 m |
$439.1 m |
| 2008 |
$1.386 b |
$792.3 m |
$77.7 m |
$73.7 m |
$455.3 m |
| 2007 |
$1.362 b |
$791.7 m |
$76.4 m |
$68.0 m |
$437.1 m |
| 2006 |
$1.365 b |
$773.5 m |
$76.2 m |
$69.7 m |
$454.9 m |
| 2005 |
$1.333 b |
$774.6 m |
$75.6 m |
$66.2 m |
$423.5 m |
| 2004 |
$1.262
b |
$720.2
m |
$70.7
m |
$68.1
m |
$408.1
m |
| 2003 |
$1.135
b |
$638.1
m |
$63.0
m |
$69.3
m |
$375.2
m |
| 2002 |
$1.108
b |
$613.7
m |
$62.2
m |
$75.2
m |
$367.7
m |
| 2001 |
$1.002
b |
$557.3
m |
$55.9
m |
$73.1
m |
$329.1
m |
| 2000 |
$973.0
m |
$537.3
m |
$55.2
m |
$67.2
m |
$323.5
m |
| 1999 |
$934.5
m |
$506.9
m |
$52.1
m |
$68.8
m |
$321.9
m |
| 1998 |
$914.2
m |
$503.8
m |
$49.5
m |
$69.8
m |
$318.9
m |
| 1997 |
$920.8
m |
$475.5
m |
$49.5
m |
$64.8
m |
$342.5
m |
| 1996 |
$924.3
m |
$489.6
m |
$49.1
m |
$64.1
m |
$332.6
m |
| 1995 |
$902.5
m |
$487.3
m |
$48.4
m |
$65.6
m |
$311.6
m |
| 1994 |
$875.5
m |
$465.6
m |
$47.5
m |
$65.8
m |
$303.5
m |
| 1993 |
$843.4
m |
$444.7
m |
$45.0
m |
$63.5
m |
$297.0
m |
| 1992 |
$846.6
m |
$454.3
m |
$45.2
m |
$64.5
m |
$290.8
m |
| 1991 |
$790.3
m |
$421.0
m |
$41.9
m |
$53.3
m |
$294.5
m |
| 1990 |
$474.8
m |
$252.4
m |
$24.7
m |
$43.1
m |
$156.5
m |
| 1989 |
$409.1
m |
$205.9
m |
$20.6
m |
$41.6
m |
$140.5
m |
| TOTAL |
$25.665
billion |
$14.383
billion |
$1.418
billion |
$1.596
billion |
$8.485
billion |
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*Not all proceeds earned in a fiscal year are appropriated in that year. |
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Based on Chapter 2, 2012 Special Session I Acts of Assembly. For Fiscal Year 2012, Lottery Service Area accounts include: Foster Care, At-Risk, Virginia Preschool Initiative, Early Reading Intervention, Mentor Teacher, K-3 Primary Class Size, School Breakfast, Algebra Readiness, Alternative Education, ISAEP, Special Education - Regional Tuition, Vocational Education - Categorical, No Child Left Behind/Education for a Lifetime, Project Graduation, Supplemental Basic Aid, English as a Second Language, Remedial Summer School, Textbooks (Lottery Portion), Composite Index Hold Harmless, and Supplemental Support for School Operating Costs (Lottery Portion).
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By law, all unclaimed Virginia Lottery prizes go to the Literary Fund. The Literary Fund is used solely for educational purposes, such as upgrading technology in schools and teacher retirement funding.
The Lottery transferred $11.3 million to the Literary Fund in Fiscal Year 2012. Since 1988, the Lottery has transferred more than $222.6 million in unclaimed prizes to the Literary Fund.
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The Lottery also participates in the Set-Off Debt Collection Act, in which prize payments are withheld to pay certain obligations that the prize winner owes. Examples of these obligations are state and federal taxes, child support and tuition from state universities or colleges. The Virginia Lottery collected more than $1.5 million in FY 2012, for a total of more than $20.8 million since 1988.
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