Virginia education gets $901M from lottery profits
RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ/Governor’s Office Release) - The Virginia Lottery ended the 2025 fiscal year (FY25) with its second-highest profit total in the Lottery’s 37-year history, according to Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Profits generated by Virginia Lottery games for the year totaled more than $901 million. Under Virginia law, all Lottery profits go to support K-12 public education in the Commonwealth.
Monday, Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones presented a ceremonial check to Gov. Youngkin.
“This $901 million contribution from Virginia Lottery profits is a powerful testament to our steadfast commitment to investing in the future of every student,” said the Governor. “Every dollar generated through the Lottery directly supports the teachers, schools, and programs shaping the next generation of Virginians, reinforcing our promise to provide a world-class education. This vital source of funding represents nearly 10 percent of our K-12 education budget to ensure that classrooms across Virginia have the resources they need to foster learning, innovation, and opportunity.”
“This check represents the unwavering commitment of every Lottery employee to our mission of supporting K-12 public education, one play at a time,” said Jones. “We are proud that the Lottery has once again delivered exceptional results for the Commonwealth.”
The $901 million in profits was driven by record total sales of more than $5.7 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to the Governor’s Office:
“A portion of every play, every ticket, is profit, regardless of whether the ticket or play wins a prize. People who chose to play did so at one of more than 5,300 businesses across Virginia, or online through either the Lottery’s mobile app or at valottery.com Out of that $5.7 billion in sales, $4.5 billion was returned to players as prizes. In other words, for every dollar spent on Virginia Lottery games, about 78 cents went right back to the players."
Virginia’s biggest win of FY25 was a Mega Millions jackpot worth an estimated $348 million, which was won by someone who bought the ticket at a convenience store, E & C Mid-Atlantic in Burgess. It is the largest jackpot ever won in Virginia, say Lottery officials. The store received a $50,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
The profit from our games goes into the state’s Lottery Proceeds Fund, which benefits every school division in the Commonwealth,” Jones continued. “The fund supports several essential K-12 education programs, and approximately one-third of the profits allocated to each division is discretionary funding for that division to address their priority needs.”
In addition to profits for schools and prizes for lucky winners, Virginia businesses benefited in FY25, says the Governor’s Office. Stores that sell Lottery tickets earned a total of $127.9 million in commissions and bonuses for the year.
Many of those retailers are smaller, locally-owned stores. Lottery research indicates customers who go into stores to buy Lottery tickets, particularly during a high jackpot, typically leave with other purchases as well.
For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website.
https://www.wdbj7.com/2025/08/04/virginia-education-gets-901m-lottery-profits/