Illinois Lottery scratches off record year; players kick in record amount for education

Posted on August 31, 2019
Illinois Lottery players kicked in a record $731 million for the Common School Fund in the past year. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Lottery is boasting its biggest year ever. Lottery players kicked in a record amount for education for the twelve months ending June 30.

“Our Fiscal Year 19 contribution to the Common School Fund was a record $731 million, which is about two percent higher than our Fiscal Year 18 contribution, which was about $719 million,” said lottery spokesman Jason Schaumburg.

Schaumburg says the record reflects sales slowly rising to around $3 billion.

Schaumburg says specialty tickets benefiting seven causes – including breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, and veterans – earned $4 million for those causes.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].

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