Arizona Lottery breaks sales record for third consecutive year

PHOENIX– The Arizona Lottery achieved record sales numbers during the 2021 fiscal year totaling over $1.439 billion, officials said in a press release Thursday.

The lottery saw a 31% increase in sales of instant-win and draw games in the past year, the third year in a row for growth.

Prize payouts to lottery winners totaled over $997 million and commissions to retailers exceeded $97 million.

The Arizona Lottery made transfers to state-mandated beneficiaries totaling over $260 million. The lottery has been funding essential projects during its 40 years of operation.

“The Arizona Lottery and our entire network of valued retailers are grateful to our players who are helping to do so much good in our great state by enjoying our games,” Gregg Edgar, executive director, said in the release.

Through payments to state-mandated beneficiaries, the Arizona Lottery will contribute $38 million to the Arizona Board of Regents’ University Bond Fund in order to fund the construction and maintenance of infrastructure and facilities at Arizona’s public universities, according to the release.

The lottery will additionally provide more than $22.2 million to Healthy Arizona through the Arizona Department of Health Services to provide assistance to low-income families.

About $11.5 million will go to the Local Transportation Area Fund in order to continue expanding mass transportation and the rest of the $260 million will be distributed to several other beneficiaries.