Down from record high, Pa. Lottery still takes in over $1B

The Pennsylvania Lottery generated a profit of nearly $1.2 billion to benefit older Pennsylvanians during the 2021-22 fiscal year.  

This is the 11th consecutive year the Lottery has generated more than $1 billion for senior programs, but is lower than the prior fiscal year, which saw record revenue. 

According to Lottery officials, the profit was driven by the Lottery selling a total of $5 billion in traditional games, which include Scratch-Off tickets and Draw Games, such as Powerball and Mega Millions.  

Meanwhile, the Lottery generated $746.5 million in sales from its online games.  

The Lottery’s online games continue to be very popular with players since their launch in May 2018., said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. 

 “This fiscal year was the second-best for sales and second-best for profits in the Lottery’s 50- year history,” said Svitko. “That means Pennsylvania seniors will continue to have access to free and reduced-fare transportation, prescription assistance, free meals, rent and property tax rebates and a host of other programs and services that are funded by the Lottery. We are extremely proud of our commitment and mission to continue funding the programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians.”  

The 2021-22 fiscal year followed the all-time record fiscal year of 2020-21, when a 20 percent growth rate came in much higher than the Lottery’s projections.  

Because last year’s revenue was so high, Lottery officials were expecting a dip for the current fiscal year. 

Sales of Scratch-Off games totaled more than $3.5 billion, down by $244.5 million, or 6.5 percent, from the previous year. These games account for 70 percent of total traditional sales.  

Sales of Draw Games in-store and online totaled more than $1.3 billion for the fiscal year, down by $48.9 million, or 3.6 percent, from the previous year’s total.  

 The Lottery had more than $746.5 million in online play, down $140.4 million, or 15.8 percent from the prior fiscal year.  

Sales of Fast Play games totaled more than $149.1 million, an increase of more than $5.2 million, or 3.6 percent, from the previous fiscal year.  

Sales of Monitor Games, which include Keno and Xpress Sports games, totaled an estimated $55.7 million this fiscal year, an increase of more than $800,000, or 1.5 percent, from the previous fiscal year. 

Traditional game prizes paid to winners were more than $3.3 billion. A total of 76 winning tickets of $1 million or more were paid to players during the 2021-22 fiscal year.  

More than $655 million in prizes were paid out to winners of online eInstant games and to winners who purchased Draw Games online.   

More than 10,000 licensed Lottery retailers statewide, many of them small and family owned businesses, earned an estimated $286.4 million in sales commissions.