The Pennsylvania Lottery made a record revenue of $4.5 bn from game sales in the 2018-19 fiscal year, and generated a record profit of more than $1.14 bn for the period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.
Scratch cards were the largest source of income for the state lottery, bringing in $2.99bn, up from $2.82bn last year.
Draw games took in $1.36bn in revenue, up from $1.25bn last year. The increase was driven by a 71.4% increase in MegaMillions and Megaplier revenue, helped by a $1.5bn jackpot in October 2018 after an October 2017 format change made jackpot wins less frequent.
Pick 3 games’ revenues decreased slightly, from $270.4m to $269.2m, but the games became the largest source of draw revenue, after Powerball and Powerplay takings declined from $272.7m to $260.5m
Fast play games declined in revenue from $114.4m to $103.3m, while monitor games saw a 513% increase in revenues to $46.7m. Sales through PA iLottery, online games played on a computer, tablet or mobile device, saw more than $381 million in play in its first full fiscal year.
“We are thrilled that the new and exciting games that were authorized by Act 42 of 2017 are proving to be a tremendous success,” Pennsylvania Lottery executive director Drew Svitko said. “We’re always working hard to find innovative ways we can responsibly grow profits to benefit older Pennsylvanians.”
The state’s liability for prizes reached a record $2.93bn, up from $2.73bn last year, while commission costs increased from $302m to 331.7m. Administrative costs increased from $94m to $115m, as operating costs almost doubled to $28.8m and fixed asset expenses more than doubled to $20.6m.
Svitko said the lottery’s record profit, which is spent on programs to benefit elderly Pennsylvanians, could make a substantial difference.
“Benefitting older Pennsylvanians every day is more than just our mission statement,” he said. Families across the commonwealth rely on the vital senior programs that are funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery.
:That is why we are extremely proud to have set a new profit record while exceeding $1bn in proceeds to benefit older adults for the eighth consecutive year. As we strive to do more for our older population in the next fiscal year, we are grateful for the support of our players, business partners and the entire Lottery team for making this record year possible.”