Maryland Lottery and Gaming has celebrated its most successful year to date, contributing over $1.5bn back to the state’s good causes fund.
Publishing its FY22 report, the lottery posted $4.9bn in total sales across its traditional lottery, casino and sports betting divisions.
The lottery division set a record for sales at $2.7bn and for profits to the state at $673.7m. Records were also set for prizes to players ($1.7bn) and records to players ($203m).
Breaking down the lottery sales, the Powerball draw drew in the most sales and profit output of the jackpot games, generating $127.6m in sales and earning $52.2m in profits.
Mega Millions generated $81m in sales and $33.4m in profit, whilst Multi Match generated $39.7m in sales and $13.7m in profit.
However, the daily draw games attracted the most sales; Pick 3 sold $266.6m in tickets and recorded $107.5m in profit, meanwhile Pick 4 sold £373.1m tickets and made $123m in profit.
Sales of scratch-off tickets reached an eighth consecutive record, reaching over $1bn in sales for the first time, up by $165m from FY21.
“We are immensely proud to be a vital source of funding for programs and services that Marylanders depend on every day,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin.
“We’re in the entertainment business, but we never lose sight of the role we play and our place in the community.”
Meanwhile, Maryland Lottery’s six casinos also set records for their contribution to the state, generating $832.3m for good causes throughout FY22, $108.9m more than last year.
Total revenue at casinos was just over $2bn, up $242m from the previous record set in 2019.
Finally, the state’s first five retail sportsbooks opened in December 2021 and handled $174.8m in wagers in their first six months of operations. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education, received $3m from this amount.
“As we continue to generate revenue each year, we remain vigilant about the importance of encouraging people to play responsibly,” Martin added.
“While we were setting revenue records and helping to oversee the launch of sports wagering this past year, we also achieved Level 4 responsible gaming certification by the World Lottery Association.”