“While jackpot games were obviously the major driving force behind these record sales, our other products also did really well,” said the Lottery’s President and CEO Tom Delacenserie. “Great performance by our Scratch-offs and strong online sales helped bring home the record month. We have a solid plan ahead for November to help sustain the forward momentum, as our state’s college students are counting on us for scholarship and grant proceeds.”

The near-world record Mega Millions jackpot run – in tandem with a Powerball jackpot run that rose to more than $680 million – led to the most successful sales month in the nearly 30-year history of the Kentucky Lottery.

Overall sales for the month were $115.5 million, which is $33.2 million (or 40.3%) more than budgeted. This shatters the previous record sales month from January 2016, when a world-record Powerball jackpot of $1.6 billion led to sales of $105.1 million. 

This in turn led to $34.4 million in monthly net income to the Commonwealth for the month, again a record. This surpasses the previous record, also set in January 2016 by $1.8 million.

 Kentucky players hoping to win the $1.5 billion jackpot awarded in October spent $21.2 million on Mega Millions tickets alone. This exceeded the $3.8 million October budgeted sales for the game by $17.4 million. Powerball ticket sales for the month were $13.3 million, which exceeded the budgeted sales for the game in October by $7 million (or 114%).

 Lottery Scratch-off tickets also posted a solid month, realizing $55.1 million in sales. That’s $9.3 million (or 20.3%) higher than budgeted. 

The Lottery’s online sales portal also saw its highest sales level in the site’s history, driven in part by the number of players going there for Mega Millions and Powerball tickets. Instant Play games online realized $1.5 million in sales, beating the old record by $300,000.

 “While jackpot games were obviously the major driving force behind these record sales, our other products also did really well,” said the Lottery’s President and CEO Tom Delacenserie. “Great performance by our Scratch-offs and strong online sales helped bring home the record month. We have a solid plan ahead for November to help sustain the forward momentum, as our state’s college students are counting on us for scholarship and grant proceeds.”

Chip Polston | Sr VP of Communications, PR and Social Responsibility 
1011 West Main St, Louisville, KY 40202 
p: +1 502 560-1675