Fiscal year 2016 first-half profits for the Georgia Lottery Corp. have reached their highest since inception in 1993, Georgia Lottery officials announced today. Fiscal year 2016 second-quarter profits are the largest second-quarter profits and the second largest transfer to education in a single quarter.
 
Second-quarter profits transferred to the State Treasury’s Lottery for Education Account will amount to $262.6 million, surpassing last year’s second-quarter transfer by more than $21.6 million. FY16 second-quarter profits also include funds generated from coin operated amusement machines in Georgia.
 
Georgia Lottery profits for the first half of fiscal year 2016 are the highest in the corporation’s history, reaching $516.5 million – $47.7 million ahead of last year’s record.
 
The first half of the Georgia Lottery’s fiscal year spanned from July 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015.
 
First-half transfers to the Lottery for Education Account will bring the total raised for educational programs in the state to more than $17 billion since the lottery’s inception.
 
“All of our business decisions are made with a keen focus on our mission, which is to maximize revenues for HOPE and Pre-K,” Georgia Lottery President and CEO Debbie D. Alford said. “We are grateful for the support of our players and appreciate the efforts of our employees, board of directors, retailers, vendors and corporate partners.”
 
Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corp. has returned more than $17 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs, including Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program. More than 1.7 million students have received HOPE, and more than 1.4 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.