NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Lottery set a new record in Fiscal Year 2021 for its total annual transfer to the Lottery for Education Account.

The Lottery transferred $499,885,000, breaking the previous record of $447.1 million set in FY 2019 and bringing the total raised for education in Tennessee since inception to $6,003,863,000.

“We’ve had many winners this year, but the biggest winners continue to be Tennessee students and families who participate in the designated education programs the Lottery funds,” TEL President and CEO Rebecca Paul Hargrove said in a press release. “These incredible results that benefit the state from border to border don’t happen without the steady leadership of our Board of Directors, the commitment of employees, the dedication of our more than 5,000 retailers, the enthusiasm of our players and the support of our Governor and the Legislature.”

Lottery officials said total education funding increased over 14% year over year with total revenues for FY 2021 reaching $2.083 billion, surpassing $2 billion for the first time in the Lottery’s history.

Since the Lottery’s inception, more than 1.6 million scholarships and grants have been awarded with Lottery funds. More than 150,000 Tennessee students benefited in the 2019-2020 school year alone.

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/tennessee-lottery-sets-new-record-with-nearly-half-a-billion-dollars-raised