California Lottery Enjoys Record Growth; Sales Up 27 Percent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Russ Lopez

July 16, 2012 Alex Traverso

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California Lottery Enjoys Record Growth; Sales Up 27 Percent

Projected Sales for 2012-2013 Could Reach $5 Billion

SACRAMENTO – It was a year of history and broken records for the California Lottery in Fiscal Year 2011-2012. In a year that saw the MEGA Millions® jackpot reach an all-time, world record amount of $656 million, Lottery sales for the year also reached an all-time high – $4.37 billion – easily surpassing the previous high of $3.59 billion in Fiscal Year 2005-2006.

In total, the Lottery was able to send about $160 million more in supplemental funds to schools this year compared to last year – about $1.28 billion in FY 2011-2012 versus $1.13 billion in FY 2010-2011.

California schools will be receiving more money in supplemental funds thanks to big increases in Scratchers® and MEGA Millions sales. Scratchers sales were up 38 percent over where they were last year thanks largely to the introduction of the Lottery’s first-ever $10 game last September. Total Scratchers sales for the past year finished at more than $2.75 billion. MEGA Millions sales were driven by the March jackpot run that saw sales go wild all across the country, as people scrambled for a chance to win a $656 million jackpot. MEGA Millions sales for the year were more than $720 million – an increase of 33 percent from last year.

Other factors to consider from the recently completed fiscal year:

· Total sales were more than $900 million higher than last year;

· Sales were more than $275 million above the Lottery’s original sales goal at the start of the year;

· FY 2011-2012 marks the 12th consecutive year the Lottery has provided more than $1 billion in supplemental funds to California schools; and,

· This is the third consecutive year that Lottery sales have increased.

“It’s been a record year for the California Lottery, and we’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve for California schools,” Lottery Director Robert T. O’Neill said. “However, we have tremendous opportunities for continued growth in the new fiscal year, and we’re determined to make this another great year for the Lottery and for public education.”

At the most recent meeting of the California Lottery Commission in late June, the Commission unanimously approved the Lottery’s budget for FY 2012-2013. Total sales for the year are projected to be $4.8 billion, which equates to an estimated $1.31 billion for schools.

The mission of the California Lottery is to provide supplemental funding to California schools while simultaneously supporting local communities. More than 94 cents of every dollar spent by our players goes back to local communities in the form of contributions to public schools and colleges, prizes and retail compensation. Since 2000, Lottery players have contributed $1 billion to public schools each year, and, since we began in 1985, Lottery players have contributed a total of more than $24 billion to education. The California Lottery urges its customers to play responsibly and within their budgets. If you feel you have a gambling problem, or know someone who does, you can get help at 1-800-GAMBLER.

www.calottery.com

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