MO Lottery sales hit record $1.1B

The Missouri Lottery sold $1.1 billion worth of tickets during fiscal 2013, the largest figure in its history.

During the fiscal year ended June 30, sales rose by roughly 4 percent, marking the fourth consecutive year of increases. Retailers statewide netted roughly $70 million in fiscal 2013 ticket sales, according to a news release.

“We implemented a new advertising campaign called ‘Play It Forward,’ which has been highly successful," Missouri Lottery Executive Director May Scheve Reardon said in the release. "We also had several high Powerball jackpots, more jackpot winners and our biggest jackpot winners ever ... a $293.7 million jackpot last November."

The Scratchers game contributed $758.9 million to lead annual sales by category.

The latest fiscal year results represent the third time the Missouri Lottery has topped the $1 billion sales mark since its 1986 inception.

The lottery has sold roughly $16.2 billion in tickets since fiscal 1986. A portion of proceeds are funneled into the state budget for education programs, according to the release. According to the lottery's website, roughly 24.8 cents of every dollars spent benefits public education programs; 64.8 cents goes back to players as prizes; 4.2 cents pays administrative costs; and 6.2 cents goes to retailers.[[In-content Ad]]