Florida Lottery Makes History Again — This Time with $62.9 Million in Scratch-Off Sales
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Lottery announced today that Scratch-Off ticket sales for the week ending March 11, 2012, exceeded $62.9 million. This is the second week in a row in which Scratch-Off sales reached the highest level since the Florida Lottery launched its first ticket in 1988, when $95 million in Scratch-Off tickets was sold in the first 12 days of operations. Scratch-Off sales for the week preceding March 11 reached $60 million.
“The record sales we are experiencing are a good indicator of two things: Florida’s economy is improving, and the Lottery’s diverse product line of Scratch-Off tickets has generated a new level of interest and enthusiasm among our players. Eighteen different tickets had more than $1 million in sales this past week. The increase in sales also means additional revenue for education programs in Florida. We thank our players for their desire to play and their commitment to improving the lives of Florida’s youth,” said Secretary Cynthia O’Connell.
The Florida Lottery offers approximately 40 Scratch-Off games at any given time through instant ticket vending machines or on-counter displays at more than 13,000 retailers statewide. Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, making up approximately 56 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $455 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2010-11.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY
Florida voters, by a two-to-one margin, approved a constitutional amendment in 1986 authorizing the state to operate a lottery for the purpose of generating significant additional moneys for education. To date, the Florida Lottery has funded Bright Futures scholarships for more than 550,000 Florida students to attend college in our state. Floridians continue to show their support by purchasing billions of dollars in Lottery products per year, resulting in contributions of more than $23 billion to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund since 1988. For more information regarding the Florida Lottery, its games and its contributions to education, visit www.flalottery.com.
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CONTACT: FLORIDA LOTTERY COMMUNICATIONS
(850) 487-7727
www.flalottery.com
