(Jefferson City) – For the second time in Missouri Lottery history, ticket sales surpassed $1 billion. Total unaudited sales for Fiscal Year 2012, which ended June 30, set a new all-time record, coming in at $1,099,678,019 – 9.8 percent higher than the previous fiscal year.
“Our retail network has worked hard, our employees have worked hard and our players have been good to us,” said Executive director of the Missouri Lottery May Scheve Reardon said that in addition to record sales, the Lottery also recently posted record proceeds of more than $280 million in FY12.
More than $689 million in prizes were awarded to Missouri Lottery players during FY12, bringing the total prizes won since the Lottery began in 1986 to more than $8.9 billion. Twenty-four Missouri Lottery tickets worth $1 million or more were sold, awarding jackpots ranging from $1 million to $5 million. A total of $43.8 million in jackpot prizes were won by players during the past fiscal year.
Fourteen Powerball tickets worth $200,000 were sold in Missouri, including two Powerball players who matched five numbers and used Power Play to bump the prize up to $1 million. Six other players who played the new Powerball game won an automatic $1 million for matching all five white-ball numbers. Eleven Mega Millions players won prizes worth $250,000.
A total of 59 jackpot-winning Show Me Cash tickets ranging from $50,000 to $472,000 were also won by Missouri Lottery players in FY12.
During the past fiscal year, retailers who sell Missouri Lottery products earned more than $67.8 million in commissions, incentives and bonuses for selling Lottery tickets, bringing the total historically to more than $929 million.