The state’s HOPE Scholarship for college students and early childhood pre-k efforts got another boost Wednesday when Georgia Lottery officials announced a record-breaking $927 million in profits for the recently completed fiscal year.
The total surpassed last year’s record mark by more than $26 million. It also came as the lottery celebrates its 20th anniversary — a happy milestone for an organization that, despite record revenue, faces ever-rising college enrollment and tuition that have it straining to keep up with demand.
Since 1993 almost 3 million students have benefited from one or both of Georgia’s premier education programs, with the state lottery considered among the nation’s elite in sales per capita.
“The citizens of our state feel good about purchasing a Georgia Lottery ticket because of these important beneficiary programs,” lottery President and CEO Debbie D. Alford said.
Profits going toward the programs have increased 18 out of 20 years, with 1998 and 2011 being the only exceptions.
This year, for the fiscal year 2013 that ended June 30, Alford said the lottery made an effort to keep expenses down as it focused on developing new games to keep players interested.
Additionally, she said, sales were fueled by several large Powerball jackpots, including record jackpots in November and May.
The Georgia Lottery also has begun selling Powerball, Mega Millions and Fantasy 5 online via its website. Others games may follow, with distribution also being considered through mobile devices. The expansion coincided with the launch of the lottery’s new iHOPE debit card, which can be used for online — and, eventually, retail — transactions.
Earlier this year, Gov. Nathan Deal and lawmakers gave the lottery control and enforcement power over video poker machines, in part to push more money toward HOPE and pre-k.
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