Although residents in Virginia did not win the Mega Millions jackpot, lottery officials report that the state’s schools were big winners. Sales of the Mega Millions tickets in Virginia accumulated roughly $22 million in profit during the jackpot run that began after the drawing on January 24 and continued until Friday. By law, the profit the state generated goes to K-12 public schools in Virginia.
Also, officials reported Virginia retailers that sell lottery tickets earned more than $2.4 million in selling commissions. The Virginia Lottery makes an estimated $1.2 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. During the 2011 fiscal year, the lottery raised more than $444 million for Virginia’s public schools, which is about 8 percent of state funding for Virginia public education.
