Pennsylvania Lottery Sets Sales Record
PENN HILLS, Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania Governor EdwardG. Rendell today announced that Pennsylvania Lottery sales for the 2005-06fiscal year set a new record of $3.07 billion - a 16 percent increase overthe previous year. Having topped last year's sales record by $425 million,the Lottery achieved its highest single-year dollar increase in its 34-yearhistory.
"The continued growth of the Lottery is particularly gratifying becausehigher Lottery sales help us provide greater benefits to olderPennsylvanians," said Governor Rendell during the announcement at PennHills Senior Center in Allegheny County. "The Lottery's unprecedentedgrowth provided first for an expansion of the PACE and PACENET prescriptiondrug programs, and now for the immediate expansion of the Property Tax andRent Rebate Program.
"The Lottery's success allowed 100,000 older Pennsylvanians to be addedto the PACE and PACENET programs. And, Lottery revenues will provideproperty tax and rent relief to an additional 420,000 older and disabledPennsylvanians for the current tax year, while increasing the maximumrebate from $500 to $650. That's significant and long-deserved relief forPennsylvania seniors."
Recognizing that the Lottery needed to increase sales to answer thedemands of a growing older population, Governor Rendell made expanding thePennsylvania Lottery - the only U.S. Lottery that dedicates all proceeds toprograms that benefit older residents - a primary goal of hisadministration. Lottery sales have grown by more than $1 billion, or about57 percent, under Governor Rendell, from $1.95 billion in fiscal year2001-02 to $3.07 billion in 2005-06.
"Lottery sales have grown by more than 10 percent in each of the lastfour years, and total sales have grown by more than $1 billion in thattime," said Governor Rendell. "The last time Lottery sales increased by $1billion it took 19 years. Today's Lottery achieved that milestone in onlyfour years."
Net revenues to the Lottery Fund for fiscal year 2005-06 totaled $976million, a 14 percent increase over the previous year. Net Lottery revenueshave increased by $227 million, or 30 percent, since fiscal year 2001-02.
Governor Rendell also noted that the Lottery is not just a fundingsource for programs that help older Pennsylvanians; it also plays a vitaland growing role in supporting business. As Lottery sales have grown, sohave the commissions the Lottery pays to its retailers. Lottery retailers,many of them small businesses, earned $171 million in commissions in fiscalyear 2005- 06, a 71 percent increase since fiscal year 2001-02. That moneycreates jobs, Governor Rendell said, and can have a significant impact onthe bottom line of a small business.
"A key component of the Lottery's success was turning around a 16-yeardecline in the number of Lottery retailers," said Governor Rendell. "ThePennsylvania Lottery is only as good as its retailers, yet for decades thenumber of Lottery retailers had been decreasing. We have reversed thattrend, adding more than 300 new retailers a year over the past four years.Today the Pennsylvania Lottery has more than 8,400 retailers, a milestonethat was last reached in 1992."
Under the Governor's leadership, the Lottery has also increased itssales by listening to players and offering games that respond to theirrequests, such as the new Millionaire Raffle game; by developing creativemarketing tools like Gus, the Second Most Famous Groundhog in Pennsylvania;and by introducing new technology such as Player Activated Terminals.
"The Pennsylvania Lottery is a success story of good government and anorganization of which all Pennsylvanians can be proud - especiallyPennsylvania's seniors," said Governor Rendell.
Governor Rendell noted that Lottery sales are expected to increase inthe 2006-07 fiscal year by nearly $158 million, or approximately 5.1percent.
2006-08-08
