Where Does the Money Go: How the Lottery Supports Your State
On average, the lottery grosses billions of dollars across America. Do you ever wonder where all that money goes? In addition to the payouts for winners, proceeds go towards various purposes. Lotto.com is here to break down how each state puts your money to good use.
When you purchase a ticket, each state allocates the funds to various destinations. These include the jackpot, education, environment, veterans, and other causes. Remember that other states are giving back, but today, we will focus on the states that Lotto.com is live in!
Arkansas
Education is the name of the game in Arkansas. The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has collected over $1.3 billion for scholarships. Tickets purchased provide financial assistance to 720,000 students for college. This assistance helps these students pursue higher education at both two-year and four-year schools.
Colorado
As the only state entirely dedicated to nature, conservation is at the core of the Colorado Lottery. In 1992, the citizens of Colorado voted to commit all proceeds to the protection of the great outdoors. Colorado has given $4 billion to groups that take care of parks, trails, and open spaces since 1983.
Minnesota
Like Colorado, most of the money left over after paying winners goes to the protection Minnesota's environment. Forty percent goes to the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). In comparison, the other sixty percent goes to Minnesota’s General Fund.
The lottery funds projects in St. Anthony Falls, the Mesabi Trail, and Spring Lake Park. These projects include creating green infrastructure, extending the trail, and reintroducing the American Bison to the park.
New Jersey
In New Jersey, the proceeds go towards the employee pension system. Teachers, police officers, and firefighters, among others, get money for retirement from ticket sales.
The New Jersey State Lottery earned $3.634 billion in fiscal year 2022, which is their second-highest amount ever. Of those earnings, $1.111 billion went toward pension programs. A thank you to those who dedicate their lives to the betterment of their communities.
New York
Similarly to Arkansas, the New York State Lottery values education above all else. Being the largest and most profitable in North America, it has a huge opportunity to put a sizable amount of money to good use. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, New York has contributed $3.7 billion toward the Lottery Aid to Education.
Ohio
Continuing with education, the Ohio State Lottery also contributes a great deal to public education. In the fiscal year of 2022, the Ohio State Lottery donated over $1.4 billion to the Lottery Profits Education Fund. Since 1974, the Ohio State Lottery has given over $31 billion to help fund primary, secondary, vocational, and special education in Ohio.
Oregon
The Oregon State Lottery is a bit of a culmination of all the organizations our aforementioned lotteries support. The Oregon State Lottery has its hand in just about everything, giving back to education, veteran services, conservation, and Outdoor School. Outdoor School is an immersive outdoor education program offered to Oregon’s 5th and 6th graders. To date, the Oregon State Lottery has given more than $12.5 billion to voter-approved programs.
Texas
Rounding out our list is the Lone Star State, Texas. Much like Oregon, the Texas State Lottery focuses on education and veteran services. Since 1997, the Texas State Lottery has contributed over $32 billion to the Foundation School Fund, an organization dedicated to education in Texas.
Just this year alone, the lottery has given over $2 billion! In 2009, a vote was passed to create a scratch game in Texas. This game was designed to support the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans' Assistance (FVA). Since then, the FVA has received a total of $224 million from this initiative. So far, this organization has received $224 million.
Ordering lottery tickets kills two birds with one stone. When you order a lottery ticket, you not only give yourself a chance at winning a life-changing amount of money, but you also give back to your community. To order from home, go to Lotto.com or get our apps: Apple, Google, Galaxy, and Android.
