Giving Back to Virginia Public Schools

At the Virginia Lottery, we take playing seriously. Fun matters. Excitement matters.

And so does the education of Virginia's youngest residents. It's the reason we play so enthusiastically.

Every time you scratch a ticket or pick your numbers for the big jackpot, you are creating winners in education all over Virginia.

Last year, the Lottery contributed more than $779 million to Virginia's public schools, more than $2.1 million per day.

The Lottery works for education

In Fiscal Year 2022, the Virginia Lottery had sales of more than $3.75 billion. Of this total, the Lottery generated more than $779 million for K-12 public education; more than $2.67 billion went back to players in the form of prizes, more than $138 million went to the retailers who sell Virginia Lottery tickets, and $158 million went to operational expenses.

Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been used for K-12 public education in Virginia. On this page, you can find the breakdown of historical Lottery sales figures. Below that data, you can see how much of the FY2022 profits were given to each public-school division in Virginia.

When Virginians voted in 1987 for a state-operated lottery, some people may have assumed that they voted on how to spend the Lottery's proceeds. This was not the case. Lottery proceeds were to be used as determined by the General Assembly. The use of the proceeds has changed over time. In 1989, Lottery proceeds were dedicated to capital-construction projects. From 1990 to 1998, Lottery proceeds were transferred to the state's General Fund. Starting in 1999, a state budget amendment sent Lottery proceeds to local public-school divisions to be used solely for educational purposes. In 2000, more than 80% of Virginia voters said yes to the creation of the State Lottery Proceeds Fund. The measure, now a permanent part of Virginia's Constitution, directs all Virginia Lottery profits to be used solely for educational purposes.

If you have an organization and would like a Virginia Lottery spokesperson to speak with your group about the Lottery’s benefit to education, just e-mail us at speakers@valottery.com.

Virginia Lottery Revenue Distribution


Fiscal Year Sales Prizes Retailer Compensation Operating Expenses Proceeds*
2022 $3.752 b $2.677 b $138.6 m $158.2 m $779.6 m
2021 $3.259 b $2.206 b $139.3 m $147.4 m $766.7 m
2020 $2.149 b $1.318 b $120.7 m $116.9 m $595.3 m
2019 $2.293 b $1.402 b $128.7 m $115.6 m $649.7 m
2018
$2.139 b $1.307 b $121.3 m $105.5 m $606.2 m
2017  $1.990 b $1.214 b $112.0 m   $106.3 m   $558.3 m
2016  $2.007 b $1.208 b $112.7 m   $98.7 m   $588.2 m
2015  $1.844 b $1.116 b  $103.9 m   $90.8 m   $533.8 m
2014  $1.811 b $1.082 b  $101.5 m   $89.7 m   $538.6 m
2013 $1.689 b $1.025 b $95.0 m $84.1 m $486.5 m
2012 $1.616 b $962.3 m $90.7 m $77.9 m $487.1 m
2011 $1.482 b $881.0 m $83.8 m $74.9 m $444.2 m
2010 $1.435 b $852.7 m $80.4 m $73.8 m $430.2 m
2009 $1.365 b $781.0 m $76.9 m $73.7 m $439.1 m
2008 $1.386 b $792.3 m $77.7 m $73.7 m $455.3 m
2007 $1.362 b $791.7 m $76.4 m $68.0 m $437.1 m
2006 $1.365 b $773.5 m $76.2 m $69.7 m $454.9 m
2005 $1.333 b $774.6 m $75.6 m $66.2 m $423.5 m
2004 $1.262 b $720.2 m $70.7 m $68.1 m $408.1 m
2003 $1.135 b $638.1 m $63.0 m $69.3 m $375.2 m
2002 $1.108 b $613.7 m $62.2 m $75.2 m $367.7 m
2001 $1.002 b $557.3 m $55.9 m $73.1 m $329.1 m
2000 $973.0 m $537.3 m $55.2 m $67.2 m $323.5 m
1999 $934.5 m $506.9 m $52.1 m $68.8 m $321.9 m
1998 $914.2 m $503.8 m $49.5 m $69.8 m $318.9 m
1997 $920.8 m $475.5 m $49.5 m $64.8 m $342.5 m
1996 $924.3 m $489.6 m $49.1 m $64.1 m $332.6 m
1995 $902.5 m $487.3 m $48.4 m $65.6 m $311.6 m
1994 $875.5 m $465.6 m $47.5 m $65.8 m $303.5 m
1993 $843.4 m $444.7 m $45.0 m $63.5 m $297.0 m
1992 $846.6 m $454.3 m $45.2 m $64.5 m $290.8 m
1991 $790.3 m $421.0 m $41.9 m $53.3 m $294.5 m
1990 $474.8 m $252.4 m $24.7 m $43.1 m $156.5 m
1989 $409.1 m $205.9 m $20.6 m $41.6 m $140.5 m
TOTAL

$48.6 billion

$28.9 billion $2.6 billion $2.7 billion $14.6 billion

*Not all proceeds earned in a fiscal year are appropriated in that year.

Making a difference in your community

County and City Revenue
School Division FY 2022
Accomack County Public Schools 6,688,601.74
Albemarle County Public Schools 4,640,133.23
Alexandria City Public Schools 4,709,958.11
Alleghany County Public Schools 2,102,058.30
Amelia County Public Schools 1,288,101.32
Amherst County Public Schools 4,280,269.73
Appomattox County Public Schools 2,177,692.37
Arlington County Public Schools 4,909,340.04
Augusta County Public Schools 7,249,088.42
Bath County Public Schools 328,383.51
Bedford County Public Schools 6,012,029.75
Bland County Public Schools 503,035.80
Botetourt County Public Schools 1,994,230.95
Bristol City Public Schools 2,740,666.76
Brunswick County Public Schools 2,245,916.61
Buchanan County Public Schools 2,838,443.27
Buckingham County Public Schools 1,933,665.45
Buena Vista City Public School 1,027,198.15
Campbell County Public Schools 6,794,376.21
Caroline County Public Schools 3,505,095.32
Carroll County Public Schools 3,782,159.42
Charles City Public Schools 452,543.61
Charlotte County Public Schools 1,719,023.65
Charlottesville City Public Schools 2,400,107.73
Chesapeake City Public Schools 28,599,715.73
Chesterfield County Public Schools 34,958,461.67
Clarke County Public Schools 544,419.84
Colonial Beach Town Public Schools 674,629.54
Colonial Heights City Public Schools 2,090,694.10
Covington City Public Schools 928,747.07
Craig County Public Schools 619,588.91
Culpeper Count Public Schools 6,145,420.25
Cumberland County Public Schools 1,398,861.29
Danville City Public Schools 8,802,632.25
Dickenson County Public Schools 2,255,041.67
Dinwiddie County Public Schools 4,018,424.22
Emporia City Public Schools 1,257,822.89
Essex County Public Schools 1,473,980.38
Fairfax City Public Schools 398,151.00
Fairfax County Public Schools 48,690,067.50
Falls Church City Public Schools 420,401.72
Fauquier County Public Schools 4,115,793.08
Floyd County Public Schools 1,457,620.28
Fluvanna County Public Schools 2,387,839.08
Franklin City Public Schools 1,719,685.18
FranklinCounty Public Schools 5,234,942.26
Frederick County Public Schools 7,220,700.16
Fredericksburg City Public Schools 2,294,774.75
Galax City Public Schools 1,573,929.33
Giles County Public Schools 3,283,493.94
Gloucester County Public Schools 2,844,081.76
Goochland County Public Schools 445,153.88
Grayson County Public Schools 1,584,602.79
Greene County Public Schools 2,436,217.27
Greensville County Public Schools 1,450,850.59
Halifax County Public Schools 5,096,018.66
Hampton City Public Schools 21,113,573.01
Hanover County Public Schools 6,916,910.10
Harrisonburg City Public Schools 8,478,434.32
Henrico County Public Schools 33,619,570.31
Henry County Public Schools 9,383,845.67
Highland County Public Schools 946,270.26
Hopewell City Public Schools 5,929,820.98
Isle of Wight County Public Schools 3,426,777.86
James City County Public Schools 4,014,365.25
King and Queen County Public Schools 987,259.16
King George County Public Schools 2,385,717.89
King William County Public Schools 1,468,458.53
Lancaster County Public School 532,138.23
Lee County Public Schools 3,998,127.15
Lexington City Public Schools 270,445.26
Loudoun County Public Schools 24,275,995.08
Louisa County Public Schools 3,030,946.01
Lunenburg County Public Schools 1,960,529.07
Lynchburg City Public Schools 9,164,957.79
Madison County Public Schools 933,942.29
Manassas City Public Schools 7,454,497.23
Manassas Park City Public Schools 4,420,613.11
Martinsville City Public Schools 3,108,289.67
Mathews County Public Schools 527,348.69
Mecklenburg County Public Schools 3,891,148.90
Middlesex County Public Schools 721,676.73
Montgomery County Public Schools 5,880,030.04
Nelson County Public Schools 1,030,943.48
New Kent County Public Schools 1,284,441.21
Newport News City Public Schools 34,057,770.32
Norfolk City Public Schools 31,467,615.66
Northampton County Public Sschools 2,088,852.85
Northumberland County Public Schools 632,688.66
Norton City Public Schools 975,186.91
Nottoway County Public Schools 2,828,445.55
Orange County Public Schools 3,502,446.06
Page County Public Schools 3,329,238.64
Patrick County Public Schools 2,466,914.62
Petersburg City Public Schools 7,607,058.59
Pittsylvania County Public Schools 8,122,701.72
Poquoson City Public Schools 980,919.97
Portsmouth City Public Schools 18,141,831.92
Powhatan County Public Schools 1,695,705.44
Prince Edward County Public Schools 2,320,738.03
Prince George County Public Schools 4,175,368.35
Prince William County Public Schools 62,206,526.70
Pulaski County Public Schools 3,942,613.83
Radford City Public Schools 2,016,354.35
Rappahannock County Public Schools 683,997.51
Richmond City Public Schools 25,592,526.58
Richmond County Public Schools 1,572,551.41
Roanoke City Public Schools 21,886,882.60
Roanoke County Public Schools 6,764,599.47
Rockbridge County Public Schools 1,496,413.20
Rockingham County Public Schools 7,810,954.33
Russell County Public Schools 4,849,403.35
Salem City Public Schools 2,653,808.44
Scott County Public Schools 4,470,885.21
Shenandoah County Public Schools 5,072,317.40
Smyth County Public Schools 4,887,901.25
Southampton County Public Schools 3,186,554.91
Spotsylvania County Public Schools 16,191,916.16
Stafford County Public Schools 15,930,217.73
Staunton City Public Schools 2,327,467.74
Suffolk City Public Schools 11,568,738.12
Surry County Public Schools 373,415.22
Sussex County Public Schools 1,741,780.48
Tazewell County Public Schools 5,583,374.38
Virginia Beach City Public Schools 37,362,609.16
Warren County Public Schools 3,334,730.66
Washington County Public Schools 5,688,305.39
Waynesboro City Public Schools 3,444,881.32
West Point Town Public Schools 500,855.63
Westmoreland County Public Schools 1,826,810.83
Williamsburg City Public Schools 455,396.14
Winchester City Public Schools 3,939,086.72
Wise County Public Schools 6,748,971.90
Wythe County Public Schools 3,558,032.51
York County Public Schools 5,382,367.93

Lottery Proceeds Fund balances are distributed by the Virginia Department of Education in accordance with the approved state budget. Details are included in the current year’s Appropriation Act in the Office of Education Budget.

Literary Fund

By law, all unclaimed Virginia Lottery prizes go to the Literary Fund, which provides low-interest loans to localities for public-school construction, renovations and technology upgrades. The Lottery transferred $17.1 million to the Literary Fund in Fiscal Year 2022. Since 1988, the Lottery has transferred more than $337 million in unclaimed prizes to the Literary Fund.

Set-Off Debt Collection Act

The Lottery also participates in the Setoff Debt Collection Act, in which prize payments are withheld to pay certain obligations that the prizewinner owes. Examples of these obligations are state and federal taxes, child support and tuition from state universities or colleges. The Virginia Lottery collected more than $6.0 million in FY2022 and has collected a total of more than $47.6 million since 1988.

11 billion to education
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Where Virginia Lottery Profits Go

Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been used for public education in the Commonwealth, for Kindergarten through 12th grade.

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FY 2022 Annual Financial Report

Download a copy of our annual financial report.

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