For the second year in a row the Arizona Lottery has announced record breaking numbers both in sales and in payouts, with lottery officials stating fiscal year 2020 saw instant-win and draw games register over $1.09bn.
As reported by the Phoenix Business Journal, the lottery also revealed that during the fiscal year it paid out in excess of $1bn for the first time in its history, fuelled mainly by a $414m Mega Millions award from a ticket sold in Glendale in June, as well as its backing of the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Gregg Edgar, Arizona Lottery Executive Director, stated in the report: “The Arizona Lottery, and our entire network of valued retailers, are proud to help provide the resources needed by everyone on the frontlines battling this pandemic to keep us all healthy, and to assist businesses across Arizona weather this economic storm and even grow during these troubled times.
“Arizona Lottery ticket sales are directly responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars every year to fund these programs that are providing critical services to our most at-risk citizens and helping to grow our economy.”
It was also reported in the fiscal results that $220m was transferred to state-mandated beneficiaries throughout the trading period, with key transfers including $21.9m to Healthy Arizona to provide assistance to low-income families and $3.5m to the Arizona Competes Fund to foster economic growth across the state, attract new business and help current companies.
Moreover, the period also saw $1m transferred to the Human Services Campus in order to help combat homelessness and reduce the COVID-19 impact on the homeless.
The figures released by the Arizona Lottery also revealed that $74.5m went to retailers in commissions.