CT Lottery Sales Up 6 Percent In First Half Of Fiscal Year

ROCKY HILL, CT – The Connecticut Lottery Corporation has closed the first half of the 2018-19 fiscal year with sales up nearly 6 percent over the same period last year, with nearly $665 million in total sales.

The first six months ran from July 1 to December, 2018. The numbers were released Friday.

The strong half-year resulted in total Connecticut General Fund transfers of nearly $185 million, a $10 million increase over the first-half of fiscal year 2018. Sales and general fund transfers represent the best half-year result in the CT Lottery’s history.

The CT Lottery’s Keno sales also increased in the first-half of FY19, up nearly 20 percent over FY18, and sales for the Lottery’s multi-state draw games were especially strong. Mega Millions and Powerball six-month sales totals were $48 million and $40 million, respectively — $20 million more than last year — due in part to a $1.5 billion jackpot run in October.

"We’re happy to continue our nearly 50-year tradition of solid contributions to the state of Connecticut with another strong period of sales and transfers to the state’s General Fund," said Greg Smith, the president and CEO of the CT Lottery. "In the next half of the year, the CT Lottery plans to implement additional innovations and upgrades that will bolster our first-half successes. And we do this hand-in-hand with our nationally recognized responsible gaming efforts."

In fiscal year 2018, players won more than $791 million in prize money and retailers earned $70 million in commissions, according to the statistics. The CT Lottery provided $345 million to support the valuable services and programs funded by the state’s General Fund including public health, libraries, public safety, education and more, officials said.

Since the Lottery began in 1972, its contributions to the General Fund have exceeded $9.5 billion, officials said.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

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