Record Minnesota Lottery Sales Means More Minnesotans Are Gambling
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)-- Minnesotans are spending more money on lottery tickets than ever before.
During the Fiscal Year 2018, Lottery sales reached a record of $596.5 million dollars. The unprecedented sales were driven by scratch off games, which Minnesotans spent a record of $411.2 million dollars on.
The increase in lottery ticket purchases also impacted the amount of money returned to Minnesotans. The Minnesota Lottery reports that in 2018, a record of $145 million dollars was delivered back to its beneficiaries, some of which include:
- $77 million to the state's General Fund
- $66 million to environmental programs
- $2 million to support gambling addiction programs
"Since 1990, Lottery sales have generated more than $2.9 billion for Minnesota" says the Minnesota Lottery.
State Fairgoers like to gamble, too. The Minnesota Lottery says that $700,000 dollars worth of lottery tickets were purchased at the Minnesota State Fair in 2017, making the Minnesota Lottery the highest-selling, non-food booth at the fair.