COLUMBIA, SC (January 5, 2022)– This week, the South Carolina Education Lottery marks 20 years since the first lottery ticket was sold on January 7, 2002.
On that first day of sales there were four scratch-off games available at 3,100 retailers in South Carolina. Today, the Lottery offers some 50 games at more than 3,800 retail outlets.
Two decades later, the South Carolina Education Lottery’s success is measured in the billions. More than $16 billion has been won by players. Lottery retailers have earned more than $1.8 billion in commissions. Most importantly, education funding in South Carolina has benefited from more than $6.8 billion in lottery proceeds.
“The South Carolina Education Lottery’s 20th Anniversary is a milestone that all South Carolinians can celebrate,” the Lottery’s Executive Director Hogan Brown said. “We are incredibly proud that our efforts have made a real and lasting difference for scholarship recipients, their families, K-12 programs, and communities throughout South Carolina. Lottery funds have now touched more than a single generation.”
To commemorate the occasion of the special 20th Anniversary, throughout 2022 the Lottery will reintroduce player-favorite scratch-off games that are refreshed versions of some of the Lottery’s early scratch-off games. These games will be eligible for a second-chance promotion where 20 winners will win $2,000 each in monthly drawings throughout the year. A new daily draw game, CASH POP, is on the horizon too. This one number draw game will debut on January 17, 2022. CASH POP is in addition to other new products introduced in the last year: FIREBALL (an add-on game to Pick 3 and Pick 4), Powerball®Double Play®(a $1 game with an additional chance to win a non-jackpot prize with your Powerball®numbers), as well as the new Powerball®draw day on Mondays.
“We are not slowing down,” said Lottery Board Chairman Sam Litchfield. “I can’t thank our Board members, employees, players, and retailers enough for their support these past 20 years. Our foundation is strong and we are excited about the future. Over the past two years alone, the Lottery has transferred over a billion dollars for education.”
The South Carolina General Assembly allocates and determines the distribution of proceeds generated by the South Carolina Education Lottery each year. For lottery appropriations since 2002, visit https://www.sceducationlottery.com/documents/educationwins/Appropriations.pdf.