When Michiganders play to win, our students and schools win, too.
For many years now, lotteries across the country have been huge contributors to various social programs, and the Michigan Lottery in particular has done an amazing job of funding state schools with massive donations.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that the MI Lottery contributed $1.42 billion to the School Aid Fund in fiscal 2021 alone, which is $240 million more than fiscal 2020, and an absolute record to date.
The Lottery has now contributed more than $1 billion to this fund for the third straight year and has had a record contribution for the seventh year in a row. The contributions from the Michigan Lottery have made the state’s public schools better and have helped thousands of children receive the education they deserve.
Together, we have closed the funding gap between schools, raised per-student funding, & improved school facilities, all without raising taxes
“When Michiganders play to win, our students and schools win, too,” said Whitmer. “The Michigan Lottery’s record contribution to the School Aid Fund helps us keep kids safe and learning in-person, delivers critical funding to support K-12 programs, and ensures every family has access to a high-quality, public education.
“The Lottery’s record-setting performance over the last seven years has helped us put Michigan students first. Together, we have closed the funding gap between schools, raised per-student funding, and improved school facilities, all without raising taxes. I am grateful to everyone who has made this substantial investment in our kids possible.”
The Lottery’s incredible streak of contributions started back in 2015, when it contributed $795 million to the Fund. Since then, the number has only gone up every year, reaching an incredible $1.42 billion last year.
The Michigan Lottery is dedicated largely to supporting the public schools system, with 28% of all sales going towards the School Aid Fund, 61% going towards player prizes, 9% going towards retailer commissions, and only 2% used to fund Lottery operations.
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Lottery Retailers Also Big Winners
Apart from the public schools which received a massive contribution from the Michigan Lottery, retailers also made a huge profit from lottery sales in 2021, with $370 million paid out in commissions and bonuses.
On average, retailers earned 7.4% of all sales, with more than 10,000 locations across the state selling lottery tickets, 925 of whom sold $1 million or more in lottery tickets.
While many of the lottery retailers are big chain stores, small family-owned businesses have also profited from the sales, earning reasonable commissions on the sales they made.
Lottery purchases help support Michigan schools and businesses.
“Lottery purchases help support Michigan schools and businesses,” said Lottery Commissioner Brian O. Neill. “These incredible results would not be possible without our players, retailers, vendors, the dedicated team at Lottery, and support across state government.”
Fiscal 2021 has been amazing for the Michigan Lottery in every way, with more than $5 billion in sales and $3.1 billion in prizes paid out to players. A big chunk of the overall sales includes tickets sold for the massive $1 billion Mega Millions lottery.
Over the 50 years it has been in operation, the Michigan Lottery has contributed a total of $26 billion to Michigan public education, $7.2 billion of which were contributed over the last seven years.
The Lottery is dedicated to continuing to help the public education system, as well as promoting responsible gambling through its partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling and other initiatives.