Texas Lottery sets new $5.077 billion sales record

Sep 27, 2017, 10:11 pm (13 comments)

Texas Lottery

Nets $1.313 billion for Texas public schools and $16.2 million for Texas veterans

Players won more than $3.3 billion in prizes

Even without the benefit of a record-setting jackpot like 2016's $1.6 billion Powerball prize, the Texas Lottery achieved $5.077 billion in sales for fiscal year 2017, breaking the sales record it set just last fiscal year and resulting in a total contribution of $1.334 billion to Texas schools and veterans.

"This is the seventh consecutive year that the Texas Lottery has reached record sales," said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery. "Due to the amazing work of our staff, retailers and our trusted vendor partners, the Texas Lottery was able to offset the lack of record jackpots with record-setting scratch ticket sales, which led to outstanding sales and revenue results."

The Texas Lottery has experienced an $890 million increase in sales over the past five years representing 21 percent growth over that period of time.

This year's revenue transfer included $1.313 billion to the Foundation School Fund and $16.2 million to the Fund for Veterans' Assistance, the Lottery's largest contribution to Texas veterans. The Texas Lottery has now contributed more than $21 billion to Texas public education and more than $80 million to Texas veterans since the dedication of such funds by the Texas Legislature.

Education and veterans benefit

The Foundation School Fund, administered by the Texas Education Agency, funds the operational needs and special program services for Texas school districts including teacher salaries, utilities, equipment, bilingual education, special education, gifted and talented education, and career and technical education.

The Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans' Assistance makes grants available to eligible charitable organizations, local government agencies, and Veterans Service Organizations that provide direct services to Texas veterans and their families. With 1.7 million veterans spread across the state, these programs provide financial assistance, transportation services, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling and housing assistance.

Strong scratch ticket sales

Scratch ticket sales for FY 2017 totaled $3.94 billion, the highest scratch ticket sales in Texas Lottery history. Scratch ticket sales accounted for 77.5 percent of total sales and saw a 5.9 percent increase of $219.4 million over FY 2016 sales.

In addition to record-breaking sales, the Texas Lottery's careful spending kept administrative costs to just 4.6 percent of FY 2017 sales, one of the lowest administrative expenditure rates in the country.

"The cost containment measures taken in our administrative budget continue to contribute to our success," said Grief. "Any unspent administrative funds are returned directly to the Foundation School Fund."

FY 2017 was also a great year for Texas Lottery players and retailers. Players collected $3.327 billion in prizes, the highest amount of prizes paid out in Texas Lottery history. For the almost 18,000 retailers that sell lottery tickets across the state, commissions amounted to $253.9 million, the highest commission paid to retailers in Texas Lottery history.

"I am very proud of the significant support we continue to provide for Texas education and veterans," said J. Winston Krause, chairman of the Texas Lottery Commission. "I want to commend Texas Lottery employees, retailers and vendors for once again doing an outstanding job of developing, managing and marketing our portfolio of scratch tickets and draw games."

FY 17 by the Numbers

  • $5.077 billion in annual sales is greater than the annual sales for many well-known brands including Levi Strauss, Coach, Hyatt Hotels and Barnes & Noble.
  • This is the 14th consecutive year that the Texas Lottery generated more than $1 billion in revenue for Texas.
  • The Texas Lottery introduces approximately 90 scratch tickets every year.
  • $1 billion could fund 19,000 teacher salaries or 22 million 5th grade digital textbooks or 8,500 new school buses or 825,000 student computers or quality after-school programs for 400,000 students.
  • 97 percent of Texas Lottery sales are returned to the state in the form of contributions to the Foundation School Fund, the Fund for Veterans' Assistance and other state programs, and through prizes and retailer commissions, bonuses and incentives.

Executive Director leads years of success

Every organization has its ups and downs, but under the leadership of Gary Grief, the Texas Lottery has generally been very successful, despite being burdened by an unusually obsessive local lottery critic who makes a living trying to make the lottery look bad.

In fact, Grief has been an integral part of the success of the Texas Lottery Commission since its inception.

He was appointed in 1991, by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, to the original eight-member Lottery Task Force assigned to research and launch the Texas Lottery. In 2002, Grief was appointed by the Commission to serve the first of what would be three separate terms as acting executive director. Between and after these appointments, Grief served as deputy executive director until his official appointment as executive director in 2010.

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Lottery Post Staff

Comments

lejardin's avatarlejardin

Holy Moly.

mikeintexas's avatarmikeintexas

"....an unusually obsessive local lottery critic who makes a living trying to make the lottery look bad."

I would guess that's the same one who tried to make Todd look bad, too.

One might say she not only tried to give Todd grief, but tries to give Grief grief, too.Wink

music*'s avatarmusic*

Congratulations to Gary Grief and the Texas Lottery.

 "A billion here, a billion there and soon you are talking real money."  This is a quote by a politician in Washington D.C.

Party

Bleudog101

Not too long ago some winner politicians wanted to abolish the Texas lottery.  Build a bridge and they will come, institute a lottery and they will play.  Whatever saying you want to use it's all the same, they've done a great job with their lottery. 

 

Now for Alabama and Mississippi, though you would never ever be able to top their accomplishment, at least their politicians responded appropriately by putting in a lottery they voted for.  A shame your poliiticians ignore the popular vote for the the lottery.  Vote the bums out.

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Sep 28, 2017

Not too long ago some winner politicians wanted to abolish the Texas lottery.  Build a bridge and they will come, institute a lottery and they will play.  Whatever saying you want to use it's all the same, they've done a great job with their lottery. 

 

Now for Alabama and Mississippi, though you would never ever be able to top their accomplishment, at least their politicians responded appropriately by putting in a lottery they voted for.  A shame your poliiticians ignore the popular vote for the the lottery.  Vote the bums out.

There are still several politicians in Austin that want to abolish the lottery. They cut the lottery's budget as a means to choke it financially.

Fact is, our pols, just like in Washington, don't really listen to people. They just do what they feel like doing regardless of what the people they are supposed to represent want. But, it's pretty clear that people in Texas like to play the lottery.

mikeintexas's avatarmikeintexas

Quote: Originally posted by rcbbuckeye on Sep 28, 2017

There are still several politicians in Austin that want to abolish the lottery. They cut the lottery's budget as a means to choke it financially.

Fact is, our pols, just like in Washington, don't really listen to people. They just do what they feel like doing regardless of what the people they are supposed to represent want. But, it's pretty clear that people in Texas like to play the lottery.

As you may recall, it was a bi-partisan effort against the lottery.  There were Republicans who thought it sinful and Democrats who thought it preyed upon minorities and the poor.

djpowerball1234

And states say that they must raise the price of Mega Millions so they can keep the game....B.S.

All come down to simple greed.. if a person wins the lowest level grand prize, after taxes it would at least be 5 million dollars....that is life changing money for any one in the middle class

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by mikeintexas on Sep 28, 2017

As you may recall, it was a bi-partisan effort against the lottery.  There were Republicans who thought it sinful and Democrats who thought it preyed upon minorities and the poor.

One of them is from Southlake.

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by djpowerball1234 on Sep 28, 2017

And states say that they must raise the price of Mega Millions so they can keep the game....B.S.

All come down to simple greed.. if a person wins the lowest level grand prize, after taxes it would at least be 5 million dollars....that is life changing money for any one in the middle class

It's not states that are changing the rules. It's MUSL. MM is losing sales to PB.

If a state that has a lottery that wants to keep selling MM tickets, it must adhere to MUSL's rules. And no state is going to abandon MM.

Tamia12

Number to following today 042 555 0218 520 140

basil19

oh really, then you need to give that money to all your victims from that horrible storm.

Hit2nite

Quote: Originally posted by basil19 on Sep 29, 2017

oh really, then you need to give that money to all your victims from that horrible storm.

Agreed!  4 drawings?  I'm sure that Helps?  I would stop playing if my state went to 4 draws?  Fleecing every dime out of Texas... hummm... BILLIONS???!!!!

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by Hit2nite on Oct 5, 2017

Agreed!  4 drawings?  I'm sure that Helps?  I would stop playing if my state went to 4 draws?  Fleecing every dime out of Texas... hummm... BILLIONS???!!!!

Scratchers are the biggest sellers, as in most states.

There is nothing in the rules that say we have to play 4 draws a day. I play Daily 4 one draw a day when I play, and All or Nothing once a day. I rarely play scratchers.

You're sounding a little dramatic.....

End of comments
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