Maine Lottery sees record year as winnings top $156M, sales near $252M
Photo / Courtesy of Maine Lottery
Gregg Mineo, director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations, says he's happy about this year's record lottery sales and winnings.
The Maine Lottery broke several records in fiscal year 2015 ended June 30, with players taking home a record $156.2 million in pretax winnings, up from $135.5 million in fiscal 2014, while lottery sales hit a high of $251.9 million, up from $228.85 million last year.
The largest prize in fiscal 2015 was a $2 million Power Ball ticket sold at Bracketts Market in Bath, Gregg Mineo, director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations, told Mainebiz.
Retailers earned a record $16.8 million in commissions in fiscal 2015, an all-time high, up from $14.9 million the previous year.
Sales from the close to 30 instant games offered by the lottery also were very high, up 16.64% to $197.99 million and comprising 78% of all lottery sales in fiscal 2015, he said. The lottery has a total of 35 different games.
The instant games include six $5 games, which he said are very popular. “They were far and away the best instant games we had,” Mineo said. “It’s all about disposable income.”
Another instant game that did well was the $25 ticket introduced in December 2014, which had sales of $17.7 million, he said.
He added that the Red Sox David Ortiz instant game also performed well. “[Sales of] this tie into how the Red Sox are doing,” Mineo said.
Mineo said the lottery had expected 2015 to be a good year, but, “I didn’t know it would be this high.” He added that the first month of fiscal 2016 already is looking good, with July sales up versus fiscal 2015’s July sales.
In another record for fiscal 2015, the Maine State Lottery contributed its $54 million profit to Maine’s General Fund, the highest in its 41-year history. Last fiscal year’s figure was $51.85 million.
“These funds will provide much-needed revenue to support programs and services that benefit Maine citizens all across the state,” Mineo said in releasing the information. “We look forward to offering exciting new games, bigger prizes and more ways to win in the coming year.”
The Maine Lottery also transferred $647,500 to the State of Maine’s Outdoor Heritage Fund through the sale of select instant tickets. That fund, created by the Legislature in 1996, supports critical wildlife and conservation projects throughout Maine. The amount is the highest transferred to the fund since 2010.
The last record-setting year was in 2007, just before the recession. Sales were $230 million that fiscal year and prizes were $145.48 million.
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