Albuquerque – The New Mexico Lottery raised a record-breaking $43.7 million for Legislative Lottery Scholarships in Fiscal Year 2013.
“This is a very big win for the students and families of New Mexico,” said Dan Salzwedel, chair of the lottery’s board of directors. “Helping young people acquire more knowledge and greater employment opportunities through a college education enriches all of us.”
Since launching in 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $572.5 million for education in New Mexico. More than 82,600 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships, of which nearly 40,000 students have earned their college degrees.
New Mexico Lottery CEO Tom Romero said revenues from the past six fiscal years have been the highest in the lottery’s 17-year history.
“Our revenue results are strong,” Romero said. “As the student population grows larger every day and the demand for college scholarships accelerates, we will continue to take every responsible measure to promote a fun and exciting experience for our players and raise as much money as possible for Legislative Lottery Scholarships.”
Net Sales Up 6 Percent
Net sales of approximately $141.8 million were up almost 6 percent – or $8 million – from the last fiscal year.
Powerball® sales led the way, thanks to four jackpots that climbed to more than $300 million, including one for a record $590.5 million. Players bought approximately $13 million more in tickets than they did last year.
By comparison, the year’s largest Mega Millions® jackpot reached $198 million. As a consequence, sales for the game were down nearly $6.2 million.
Scratcher™ sales were lifted by a strategy that included increasing low-tier prizes in $1 and $2 games, television advertising and promotions that gave players a second chance to win cash and merchandise with non-winning tickets.
Prizes in Fiscal Year 2013 came to $77.1 million. Retailers earned $9.1 million for selling tickets and cashing prizes.
More information about the New Mexico Lottery and Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.
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New Mexico Lottery Gross Revenues and Net revenues
FY 1996 through FY 2013
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