Oregon Lottery Contributions Reach Nearly $909M In 2022

The Oregon Lottery returned about $909 million to the state during Fiscal Year 2022 – a major win for Oregonians.

According to a press release, that number displayed 81% growth year over year. It was a welcome sign to pre-COVID-19 levels of return.

FY22 proved to be a win for the lottery customers themselves, too. The Oregon Lottery paid out nearly $16 billion over the year to players.

Five residents won prizes worth more than $250,000. And another five won more than $1 million, according to the lottery’s release. Small and big prizes accounted for 91% of the dollars spent by customers.

In addition, small business owners benefitted from the lottery’s popularity during this past fiscal year. There are roughly 3,800 Lottery retailers throughout the state.

In total, they generated more than $313 million through sales commissions.

How the Oregon Lottery gives back

There are a variety of lottery-funded programs in Oregon. Various lottery contributions go toward:

• State parks and natural habitats
• Economic growth
• Public schools
• Veteran Services

The Oregon Lottery’s website says 53% of lottery funds go to support public schooling. 25.5% go toward job creation in the state. 7.5% goes toward supporting state parks.

Another 7.5% helps boost Oregon’s natural habitats. 4% of lottery funds support the state’s outdoor school and 1.5% support veteran services. The final 1% goes toward funding for problem gambling support.

Lottery Director Barry Pack said in a release:

“Lottery funds are dedicated to supporting some of Oregonians’ most treasured programs. The sales rebound this year shows our players continue to find relevancy in our games and value the reliable revenue they provide to help make our state a great place to live.”

91 cents of every dollar from the Lottery goes directly to winners. “Our mission is to strike the appropriate balance between profits and public good,” the lottery’s website says.

World Lottery Association recognized Oregon’s responsibility

The Oregon Lottery committed to responsible playing in 2022, and the World Lottery Association took note.

The organization handed Oregon the highest certification level for its responsible gaming programs. According to the lottery’s release, Oregon is just one of eight states to reach that level.

A brief history of the Oregon Lottery

The Oregon Lottery came to fruition in 1984 to spark the state economy. The following year, the lottery sold its first scratch-it game.

When Lotto America – now known as Powerball – first launched in 1988, the Oregon Lottery was one of the seven original members.

In the mid-1990s, voters approved an amendment to allow the use of lottery funds toward public education. Today, that sector is the largest recipient of Lottery funds.

Oregon legalized sports betting in 2019. At the time, the Oregon Lottery partnered with SBTech to operate Scoreboard, the state’s first legalized sportsbook.

Eventually, though, Oregon replaced Scoreboard with DraftKings, which stands today as the state’s lone sportsbook.

2020 marked a milestone for the Oregon Lottery. As of that year, the lottery provided more than $12.5 billion to various programs and projects throughout the state.

After paying its winners and its expenses, all remaining profits go toward funding the various programs. To see a complete list of funded projects, head to the Oregon Lottery’s website.