Giving Back to Virginia Public Schools
At the Virginia Lottery, we take playing seriously. Fun matters. Excitement matters. And so
does the education of Virginia's youngest residents. It's the reason we play so enthusiastically. Every time
you scratch a ticket or pick your numbers for the big jackpot, you are creating winners in education all over Virginia. Last year, the Lottery contributed more than $595 million to Virginia's public schools.
The Lottery works for education
In Fiscal Year 2020, the Virginia Lottery had sales of nearly $2.15 billion. Of this total, the Lottery generated more than $595 million, or 27.7% of sales, for K-12 public education; 61.3% of the total went back to players in the form of prizes, 5.6% went to the retailers who sell Virginia Lottery tickets, and 5.4% went to operational expenses.
Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been used for K-12 public education in Virginia. On this page, you can find the breakdown of historical Lottery sales figures. Below that data, you can see how much of the FY2020 profits were given to each public-school division in Virginia.
When Virginians voted in 1987 for a state-operated lottery, some people assumed that they voted on how to spend the Lottery's proceeds. This was not the case. Lottery proceeds, which are approximately one-third of Lottery sales, were to be used as determined by the General Assembly. The use of the proceeds has changed over time. In 1989, Lottery proceeds were dedicated to capital-construction projects. From 1990 to 1998, Lottery proceeds were transferred to the state's General Fund. Starting in 1999, a state budget amendment sent Lottery proceeds to local public-school divisions to be used solely for educational purposes. In 2000, more than 80% of Virginia voters said yes to the creation of the State Lottery Proceeds Fund. The measure, now a permanent part of Virginia's Constitution, directs all Virginia Lottery profits to be used solely for educational purposes.
Virginia Lottery Revenue Distribution
| Fiscal Year | Sales | Prizes | Retailer Compensation | Operating Expenses | Proceeds* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $2.149 b | $1.318 b | $120.7 m | $116.9 m | $595.3 m |
| 2019 | $2.293 b | $1.402 b | $128.7 m | $115.6 m | $649.7 m |
| 2018 |
$2.139 b | $1.307 b | $121.3 m | $105.5 m | $606.2 m |
| 2017 | $1.990 b | $1.214 b | $112.0 m | $106.3 m | $558.3 m |
| 2016 | $2.007 b | $1.208 b | $112.7 m | $98.7 m | $588.2 m |
| 2015 | $1.844 b | $1.116 b | $103.9 m | $90.8 m | $533.8 m |
| 2014 | $1.811 b | $1.082 b | $101.5 m | $89.7 m | $538.6 m |
| 2013 | $1.689 b | $1.025 b | $95.0 m | $84.1 m | $486.5 m |
| 2012 | $1.616 b | $962.3 m | $90.7 m | $77.9 m | $487.1 m |
| 2011 | $1.482 b | $881.0 m | $83.8 m | $74.9 m | $444.2 m |
| 2010 | $1.435 b | $852.7 m | $80.4 m | $73.8 m | $430.2 m |
| 2009 | $1.365 b | $781.0 m | $76.9 m | $73.7 m | $439.1 m |
| 2008 | $1.386 b | $792.3 m | $77.7 m | $73.7 m | $455.3 m |
| 2007 | $1.362 b | $791.7 m | $76.4 m | $68.0 m | $437.1 m |
| 2006 | $1.365 b | $773.5 m | $76.2 m | $69.7 m | $454.9 m |
| 2005 | $1.333 b | $774.6 m | $75.6 m | $66.2 m | $423.5 m |
| 2004 | $1.262 b | $720.2 m | $70.7 m | $68.1 m | $408.1 m |
| 2003 | $1.135 b | $638.1 m | $63.0 m | $69.3 m | $375.2 m |
| 2002 | $1.108 b | $613.7 m | $62.2 m | $75.2 m | $367.7 m |
| 2001 | $1.002 b | $557.3 m | $55.9 m | $73.1 m | $329.1 m |
| 2000 | $973.0 m | $537.3 m | $55.2 m | $67.2 m | $323.5 m |
| 1999 | $934.5 m | $506.9 m | $52.1 m | $68.8 m | $321.9 m |
| 1998 | $914.2 m | $503.8 m | $49.5 m | $69.8 m | $318.9 m |
| 1997 | $920.8 m | $475.5 m | $49.5 m | $64.8 m | $342.5 m |
| 1996 | $924.3 m | $489.6 m | $49.1 m | $64.1 m | $332.6 m |
| 1995 | $902.5 m | $487.3 m | $48.4 m | $65.6 m | $311.6 m |
| 1994 | $875.5 m | $465.6 m | $47.5 m | $65.8 m | $303.5 m |
| 1993 | $843.4 m | $444.7 m | $45.0 m | $63.5 m | $297.0 m |
| 1992 | $846.6 m | $454.3 m | $45.2 m | $64.5 m | $290.8 m |
| 1991 | $790.3 m | $421.0 m | $41.9 m | $53.3 m | $294.5 m |
| 1990 | $474.8 m | $252.4 m | $24.7 m | $43.1 m | $156.5 m |
| 1989 | $409.1 m | $205.9 m | $20.6 m | $41.6 m | $140.5 m |
| TOTAL |
$41.588 billion |
$24.057 billion | $2.314 billion | $2.403 billion | $13.042 billion |
*Not all proceeds earned in a fiscal year are appropriated in that year.
Making a difference in your community
| School Division | FY 2020 |
|---|---|
| Accomack | 3,854,037.26 |
| Albemarle | 3,390,608.48 |
| Alexandria | 3,902,817.34 |
| Alleghany | 1,346,836.41 |
| Amelia | 1,033,979.12 |
| Amherst | 2,653,045.97 |
| Appomattox | 1,505,082.77 |
| Arlington | 4,777,449.75 |
| Augusta | 5,751,311.47 |
| Bath | 123,363.94 |
| Bedford | 4,515,622.65 |
| Bland | 342,591.30 |
| Botetourt | 1,591,184.93 |
| Bristol | 2,034,483.13 |
| Brunswick | 1,897,601.95 |
| Buchanan | 1,877,994.76 |
| Buckingham | 1,719,648.49 |
| Buena Vista | 644,730.47 |
| Campbell | 4,881,785.36 |
| Caroline | 2,548,512.86 |
| Carroll | 2,853,040.02 |
| Charles City | 326,926.55 |
| Charlotte | 1,338,988.54 |
| Charlottesville | 2,231,495.51 |
| Chesapeake | 18,770,521.44 |
| Chesterfield | 26,166,266.54 |
| Clarke | 477,733.98 |
| Colonial Beach | 633,843.06 |
| Colonial Heights | 1,502,432.36 |
| Covington | 771,785.23 |
| Craig | 275,199.92 |
| Culpeper | 4,452,956.77 |
| Cumberland | 1,203,375.81 |
| Danville | 6,669,296.44 |
| Dickenson | 1,642,136.09 |
| Dinwiddie | 2,860,941.57 |
| Emporia | 836,149.00 |
| Essex | 930,734.77 |
| Fairfax City | 321,371.00 |
| Fairfax County | 38,990,546.02 |
| Falls Church | 244,190.30 |
| Fauquier | 2,762,297.47 |
| Floyd | 1,099,299.20 |
| Fluvanna | 1,619,144.92 |
| Franklin City | 1,222,748.58 |
| Franklin County | 4,029,107.89 |
| Frederick | 5,266,303.15 |
| Fredericksburg | 1,576,983.35 |
| Galax | 1,127,412.26 |
| Giles | 1,529,222.51 |
| Gloucester | 2,051,105.85 |
| Goochland | 447,157.93 |
| Grayson | 1,111,068.14 |
| Greene | 1,532,199.77 |
| Greensville | 1,294,409.11 |
| Halifax | 3,538,515.56 |
| Hampton | 14,868,248.46 |
| Hanover | 4,882,483.97 |
| Harrisonburg | 5,698,070.86 |
| Henrico | 26,564,203.96 |
| Henry | 6,823,824.86 |
| Highland | 786,937.84 |
| Hopewell | 4,540,391.82 |
| Isle of Wight | 2,372,802.77 |
| James City | 2,835,496.00 |
| King and Queen | 489,365.21 |
| King George | 1,613,137.00 |
| King William | 1,208,188.23 |
| Lancaster | 352,260.88 |
| Lee | 2,641,702.26 |
| Lexington | 170,107.70 |
| Loudoun | 18,343,645.73 |
| Louisa | 1,899,832.88 |
| Lunenburg | 1,401,498.77 |
| Lynchburg | 6,740,434.36 |
| Madison | 692,873.96 |
| Manassas | 5,570,748.05 |
| Manassas Park | 2,623,146.74 |
| Martinsville | 2,033,391.02 |
| Mathews | 354,218.82 |
| Mecklenburg | 2,894,767.61 |
| Middlesex | 493,681.05 |
| Montgomery | 5,127,310.76 |
| Nelson | 747,803.19 |
| New Kent | 955,299.48 |
| Newport News | 26,070,015.85 |
| Norfolk | 27,324,210.00 |
| Northampton | 1,206,079.38 |
| Northumberland | 402,972.85 |
| Norton | 584,741.55 |
| Nottoway | 2,273,325.09 |
| Orange | 2,543,753.78 |
| Page | 2,078,155.71 |
| Patrick | 2,009,161.95 |
| Petersburg | 5,782,870.82 |
| Pittsylvania | 6,488,361.17 |
| Poquoson | 581,190.11 |
| Portsmouth | 12,554,117.94 |
| Powhatan | 1,426,608.85 |
| Prince Edward | 1,760,054.69 |
| Prince George | 3,575,886.47 |
| Prince William | 39,635,765.26 |
| Pulaski | 2,821,493.03 |
| Radford | 986,732.92 |
| Rappahannock | 385,830.07 |
| Richmond City | 18,262,503.62 |
| Richmond County | 1,049,672.49 |
| Roanoke City | 13,262,904.72 |
| Roanoke County | 5,241,832.99 |
| Rockbridge | 1,191,751.04 |
| Rockingham | 5,835,961.09 |
| Russell | 4,045,127.01 |
| Salem | 1,785,832.60 |
| Scott | 3,321,819.26 |
| Shenandoah | 3,387,784.77 |
| Smyth | 3,357,953.10 |
| Southampton | 1,695,378.32 |
| Spotsylvania | 10,860,883.89 |
| Stafford | 11,254,800.89 |
| Staunton | 1,575,175.30 |
| Suffolk | 8,682,071.09 |
| Surry | 230,393.01 |
| Sussex | 1,097,829.66 |
| Tazewell | 3,897,152.42 |
| Virginia Beach | 28,047,513.43 |
| Warren | 2,628,349.28 |
| Washington | 4,289,176.02 |
| Waynesboro | 2,311,900.92 |
| West Point | 418,222.37 |
| Westmoreland | 1,414,290.79 |
| Williamsburg | 246,530.84 |
| Winchester | 2,642,159.94 |
| Wise | 4,933,697.88 |
| Wythe | 2,427,619.89 |
| York | 3,658,714.70 |
| Henrico County Career and Technical Education Resource Center | 723,331.98 |
| Fairfax County (Local Government) | 5,180,994.00 |
| Albemarle County (Local Government) | 610,459.00 |
| $613,371,800.08 |
Lottery Proceeds Fund balances are distributed by the Virginia Department of Education in accordance with the approved state budget. Details are included in the current year’s Appropriation Act in the Office of Education Budget.
Literary Fund
By law, all unclaimed Virginia Lottery prizes go to the Literary Fund, which provides low-interest loans to localities for public-school construction, renovations and technology upgrades. The Lottery transferred $14 million to the Literary Fund in Fiscal Year 2020. Since 1988, the Lottery has transferred more than $309.7 million in unclaimed prizes to the Literary Fund.
Set-Off Debt Collection Act
The Lottery also participates in the Setoff Debt Collection Act, in which prize payments are withheld to pay certain obligations that the prizewinner owes. Examples of these obligations are state and federal taxes, child support and tuition from state universities or colleges. The Virginia Lottery collected more than $2 million in FY2020 and has collected a total of more than $36.8 million since 1988.
Where Virginia Lottery Profits Go
Since 2020, all Virginia Lottery profits have been used for public education in the Commonwealth, for Kindergarten through 12th grade.
