October 20, 2022 11:00 a.m.
The Oregon Lottery announced a return of nearly $909 million to the state for the 2022 fiscal year.
An Oregon Lottery release said that is a return to pre-pandemic levels and 81 percent year over year growth. The funding directly benefits state parks and natural habitats, public schools, veteran services, outdoor school and economic development. Oregon Lottery is self-funded through the sale of games, not tax dollars, and the voters and the Legislature designate where the money goes.
Oregon Lottery Director Barry Pack said “Lottery funds are dedicated to support some of Oregonians’ most treasured programs”. Pack said, “The sales rebound this year shows our players continue to find relevancy in our games and value the reliable revenue they provide to make our state a great place to live”.
The release said lottery players also won big, with payouts totaling nearly $16 billion for the year., Five players in Oregon won prizes over $250,000 and five won prizes of $1 million or over. Prizes big and small account for 91 percent of the Lottery dollars played.
Sales commissions on Lottery games also support retailers. The 3,800 Lottery retailers across Oregon collectively earned more than $313 million this year.
The Lottery’s financial year runs from July 1st to June 30th each year.