CT Lottery Contributes $348 Million To State's General Fund

CONNECTICUT — The Connecticut Lottery Corporation has contributed $348 million to the state's general fund for the 2020 fiscal year, lottery officials said Thursday.

The fiscal year ran from July 2019 to June 2020.

In addition, CT Lottery sales kept pace with the previous year, with $1.3 billion in total sales, compared to $1.33 billion in fiscal year 2019, according to the announcement.

The strong sales and general fund transfers represent the second-best results ever for the CT Lottery’s, despite the state "experiencing the effects of a pandemic."

Here are some highlights:

• The CT Lottery’s results were led by growth in instant ticket sales of $20 million and growth in Keno sales of $12 million.
• The daily numbers games – Play3 and Play4 – also grew by $10 million.

The CT Lottery has now contributed $10.3 billion – more than $1 billion over the past three years alone – to Connecticut's general fund "to help finance various state services."

The CT Lottery contributed $2.3 million to the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and sponsored various responsible gambling efforts throughout the year, including during the holidays, according to a report.

The CT Lottery debuted a new category of games — Fast Play — on July 20, and in tts first month, the game has already generated more than $6 million in sales toward the 2021 fiscal year, Thursday's report indicates.

"We’re pleased with the continued strength and consistent contributions the CT Lottery has made to the state, particularly during a time in which Connecticut needs funding more than ever," CT Lottery President and CEO Greg Smith said. "The CT Lottery works hard to contribute over 60 percent of the states' gaming proceeds, and we continue to look at new opportunities for increasing those funds. Every day, CT residents use services that are funded in part by lottery proceeds, from roads to schools to public safety and public health."