Tennessee Lottery reports record sales

Friday, July 20, 2018, Vol. 42, No. 29

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Lottery says it had record sales last year.

The lottery said in a statement that it had gross total sales of $1.7 billion last fiscal year. The statement says it will return nearly $422 million to education programs, which is 9 percent more than the previous fiscal year.

The state had record sales for both instant tickets and drawing-style games such as Powerball. Lottery President Rebecca Hargrove says the results are "incredible" and help the state provide a strong foundation for education.

The Tennessee Lottery has generated more than $4.6 billion for education in the state since it began on Jan. 20, 2004.