BOSTON — Massachusetts Lottery sales and estimated profit were each up about $34 million in September as the Lottery kept pace with last year’s records during the first quarter of the new fiscal year.

The Lottery reported $455.4 million in sales last month as nearly all product types posted increases over September 2020.

Monthly sales were up $34.1 million or 8.1%, Executive Director Michael Sweeney told the Lottery Commission. Three months into the fiscal year, sales are up $97.7 million or 6.6% over the same period last year.

September’s sales led to an estimated profit of $95 million last month compared to $61.5 million in September 2020, which Sweeney attributed to a $16.4 million increase in Keno sales with more bars and restaurants open, and to a combined $19.6 million increase in Mega Millions and Powerball sales fueled by larger jackpots.

The $33.5 million increase in profit puts the Lottery $6.6 million ahead of its three-month profit total from fiscal 2021, a year in which the Lottery set records with an estimated profit of $1.112 billion from $5.827 billion in revenue.

Instant tickets, Mass Cash and Megabucks Doubler were the only three Lottery product types that saw sales dip from September 2020 to September 2021. Scratch tickets, which typically account for more than two-thirds of the Lottery’s business, were down $3.4 million or 1.1% last month and are down $8 million or 0.8% so far this year with the lucrative holiday season upcoming.

https://www.gloucestertimes.com/news/lottery-profits-outpacing-last-years-records/article_52e22fe2-367b-11ec-851f-0be08c3c582b.html