Things are looking good for the Arizona Lottery. Their mid-year results show ticket sales are7.8% higher than fiscal year 2013 and currently total over $349.5 million.
This year's bumper level of sales is largely attributable to a 9.5% increase in scratch card ticket sales and a 4.8% increase in ticket sales for the main draws.
The Arizona Lottery's executive director, Jeff Hatch-Miller, believes he knows the reason behind the extra interest in the main draws. "The nearly record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot run this fiscal year, following the game's redesign, resulted in a huge increase of Mega Millions ticket sales statewide," he stated. “This surge in Mega Millions sales, along with the introduction of new products, heavily contributed to our strong mid-year sales figures."
The Mega Millions game was redesigned last October and the new game provides larger Initial jackpots. The jackpots in the new game also grow a lot faster than those in the previous version and a $1 million Mega Millions second prize, coupled with better odds of winning a prize, has given sales a boost. Mega Millions ticket sales now show a 101.9% increase over the same period last year.
The increased number of lottery ticket sales has provided the state of Arizona with over $776 million this year and the money has been put to good use. Revenue generated by the lottery is used to fund a diverse variety of public projects and programs including, health, education, the environment, and public welfare.
The increased interest in Arizona Lottery products has also benefited ticket-selling retailers, who have already earned over $22.5 million in commissions this year-to-date.
