NASHVILLE - Tennessee Education Lottery officials say ticket sales soared by record-breaking amounts during first two months of the new fiscal year that began July 1.
Total sales for July and August are 9.3 percent ahead of the same period last fiscal year, officials said in a news release on Friday.
Moreover, sales for both July and August were the highest for each of those months since the Tennessee government first started selling tickets on Jan. 20, 2004.
Instant ticket sales and big jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions have primarily fueled the rise.
"Our continued growth, year-over-year since inception, is great news for education in Tennessee," said Rebecca Hargrove, Lottery President and CEO. "We remain committed to our record-breaking success and are proud to be a valuable resource for the education programs we fund."
The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation operates entirely from the revenue it generates through the sale of its products. Since its inception, the Lottery has raised more than $3.8 billion to fund designated education programs, including college grants and scholarships, after-school programs and the new Tennessee Promise initiative.
In addition to the educational beneficiaries, players have won more than $10.1 billion in prizes and Lottery retailers have earned more than $978 million in retailer commissions.