The $1.07 billion raised in fiscal year 2025 brings the total amount provided for education by the lottery, as of June 30, 2025, to more than $12 billion since it started in 2006.
Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery, said the lottery funds benefit education programs in every county in North Carolina.
“At the lottery, we are driven by our goal to make a positive impact on the lives of North Carolinians,” said Michalko. “The lottery has come a long way from raising $325 million for education in fiscal year 2007, to more than $1 billion a year today. The lottery’s continued innovation through the years to meet the needs of our players will help us to continue to meet the needs of our great state.”
As more customers move online for entertainment and to make purchases, the lottery developed digital instant games that can be enjoyed through Online Play. Investments in new technology at stores improved the purchasing experience for both customers and our retail partners.
The lottery set a record for sales in fiscal year 2025 of $6.6 billion, based on final but unaudited results, and remains the only lottery to increase sales every year of its operations.
As a result of these efforts, the lottery surpassed the education funding goal for fiscal year 2025 set by the state of $935 million by more than $141 million. Under the state budget, those extra dollars will go into the state’s Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund to support grants to counties to build new schools.
The N.C. General Assembly continues to allocate the largest amount of lottery funds to build new schools. Last year, $368 million in grants were awarded to counties to build new schools. Celebrations were held across the state with at least eight ribbon-cutting ceremonies to open new schools, as well as topping-off and ground-breaking ceremonies for new projects.
This year, the N.C. General Assembly allocated $1.08 billion that will be raised by the lottery for education programs, including:
- School construction, repair, and renovation.
- A free, academic preschool to at-risk four-year-olds in the NC Pre-K program.
- Support for salaries of non-instructional school workers in every county.
- Support for the state’s Next NC Scholarship, awarded based on financial need to students attending a state university or community college.
In making those allocations for this year, the General Assembly increased the amount of lottery funds to help school systems with the costs of transportation to $182 million, up from $21.3 million the year before, and for the first time allocated $11 million for The North Carolina Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans, a four-year scholarship for children of deceased, disabled, combat, or POW/MIA veterans.
About the N.C. Education Lottery
North Carolinians can learn more about the impact the lottery makes in their county by visiting the lottery’s website and exploring the “impact” section.
Contact:
Adam Owens
Email:
[email protected]
