The N.C. Education Lottery just crossed a big milestone in its mission to raise money for education in North Carolina, passing the $9 billion mark.
The $9 billion milestone, crossed this week, comes after the lottery celebrated its 16th anniversary on March 30th.
Mark Michalko, executive director of the lottery, said crossing milestones like this demonstrates how successful the lottery has been year after year in meeting its mission for the state of North Carolina.
“At the current rate of $2.5 million a day, the benefits to the state add up quickly over time,” said Michalko. “Crossing a $9 billion milestone is a great testament to the support the lottery has from the people of our state. We’re proud to do our part in supporting education in North Carolina.”
Over the same 16 years, the lottery also:
• Achieved $33.74 billion in ticket sales
• Provided $20.98 billion in prizes
• Awarded $2.36 billion in commissions to its retail partners.
Last year, the lottery raised the most money yet in its history, $936 million. Currently, the state uses the money to:
• Support the costs of school workers in all school systems.
• Build new schools and repair older ones in all 100 counties. Under a new school construction program, counties can apply for grants of up to $50 million to build a new school.
• Provide scholarships and grants based on financial need to make college more affordable
• Provide a free academic preschool through the NC Pre-K program for at-risk four-year-olds.
• Help to cover the costs of school transportation.