The New Jersey Lottery brought in a record $3.35 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2018, the majority of which came from the sale of scratch-off tickets.
Lottery players also left $52.3 million on the table in unclaimed winnings.
A private management company that operates most lottery functions collected $137 million in fees on top of $31.8 million in incentive fees, the lottery said in it annual financial report released Monday. The report covers fiscal year 2018 - which ran from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.
Players won about $1.99 billion in prize money and accounted of most of the $2.3 billion in expenses. Lottery officials used most of the surplus to make a $976 million contribution to the state’s depleted pension fundwith another $54.3 million earmarked for the state treasury.
The lottery’s revenue was roughly $3.23 billion versus about $2.3 billion in expenses in fiscal year 2017.
The state’s approximately 7,000 retailers sold more than $1.9 billion in scratch-off tickets in fiscal year 2018, which account for about 57 percent of the lottery’s total revenue.
Retailer sold about $421.3 million in Pick 3 ticket at $267.2 million in Pick 4 tickets. Tickers for those two games are $1 apiece.
Sales of tickets from often massive multi-state jackpots trailed well behind. New Jersey retailers sold about $231.9 million in Powerballtickets with Mega Millions sales accounting for an additional $180.3 million. Those tickets are $2 each.
The revenue for Jersey Cash 5 was $154.1 million and Pick 6 was $63.4 million.
A pair of scratch lottery games whose tickets cost $30 apiece were the lottery’s most lucrative instant games. The $5 Million Fortune generated more than $151.7 million. Players spent about $142.7 million playing the $200 Million Cash Bonanza.