ATLANTA — For the eighth consecutive year, the Georgia Lottery surpassed a billion dollars in annual profits raised toward education in the state.
The Georgia Lottery announced Thursday it raised exactly $1,516,383,000 for education in the past fiscal year. The money will go toward HOPE Scholarship and pre-K programs for Georgia students.
The funding was boosted by four of the top 10 Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots in U.S. history, a lottery spokesperson said in a statement. They also reached record-high profits in scratchers and iLottery games during the fiscal year 2023, which ran from July 1, 2022, to June 30 of this year.
“The Georgia Lottery’s achievements over the past 30 years have provided opportunities to millions of students and families through the HOPE and Pre-K programs,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in a news release. “These incredible fiscal year results are yet another example of how beneficial the lottery is in building a skilled, well-educated workforce worthy of the No. 1 state for business.”
Since the state started allotting one-third of its lottery profits to education in 1993, it has now accrued over $26.8 billion toward that sector.
“With all Georgia Lottery profits benefiting HOPE and Pre-K, these strong results ensure that Georgia’s students and families in every county remain our biggest winners," Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin said.
More than 2.1 million students have reaped the reward of the HOPE Scholarship and more than 2 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide pre-K program, the lottery said.
To find out more about Georgia's HOPE Scholarship and eligibility, click the link here.
The Mega Millions jackpot in Georgia currently sits at $910 million with its next drawing on Friday at 11 p.m.
