Illinois lottery sales average $177 per person

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lottery ticket sales grew slightly during the past year to set a record of nearly $2.3 billion, or about $177 for every person in the state, officials said Monday.

The total was 3 percent higher than the previous year’s mark of just more than $2.2 billion.

The record-high sales generated $690 million for state programs. Education got most of the money, but statewide construction projects got $54 million and $4 million went to causes like research on breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.

“This is the highest amount of money transferred from the lottery in our 37-year history,” said Jodie Winnett, the lottery’s acting superintendent.

Most of the growth came from instant “scratch-off” tickets. Their sales hit $1.3 billion, an increase of 7.5 percent.

Winnett attributed that to the “new energy and excitement” brought by a private company, Northstar Lottery Group, which has been hired to manage and market the state lottery.

New games provided another source of revenue.

Powerball, in its first full year in Illinois, saw sales nearly double to $84.9 million. Another option in its first full year, Megaplier, went from less than $1 million to $13.8 million.

Meanwhile, some of Illinois’ longtime lottery offerings experienced sagging sales. The Mega Millions game, for instance, saw sales drop by $63.5 million, or 28.6 percent. Pick Three sales fell $10.4 million, or 3.5 percent.

Lottery officials say sales have climbed every year for nine straight years.

The new revenue figures cover the 12 months that ended June 30.