The Michigan Lottery Commission’s annual report showed players claimed over $3.1 billion in winnings, the highest total ever. Sales in fiscal year 2022 were $4.9 billion, of which $1.25 billion went to the Michigan School Aid Fund. That’s below the record of $1.43 billion set in 2021.
Total Lottery sales in Michigan have increased by 47% in the past five years, growing by almost $1.57 billion. There was also an 80% increase in instant ticket purchases in the same period, with scratch-offs now accounting for nearly half of all ticket sales.
One of the most popular games in 2022 was the new Diamond Riches $50 scratch-off ticket, which marked the first time the Michigan Lottery offered an instant game with a price of over $30.
The game’s launch was in celebration of the Lottery’s 50th anniversary. Two winners have won the Diamond Riches top prize of $6 million, one player recently in Alpena County and another in Cheboygan County in July.
Online Michigan Lottery games have also rapidly increased, from $18 million in sales in 2015 to over $193 million in 2022. However, that’s small compared to scratch-off games, which sold $2.4 billion. The Daily 3 and Daily 4 draw games had sales of $1.07 billion during the same period.
The national Powerball and Mega Millions games have had up and down sales in the last few years. Sales were at $336 million in 2019 and slid to $207 million in 2020. However, sales rose to $344.5 million in 2022, with a $1.33 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in July.
The report showed that Michigan residents spent the third most per capita on the state Lottery at $500 per person, behind the per capita rates of Massachusetts ($832) and Georgia ($522). Michigan was also third in total sales as a percentage of the state’s economy, behind Massachusetts and South Carolina.
The increased sales have created a growing income for the state’s School Aid Fund, which is used primarily to subsidize K-12 education, with a small percentage used to fund higher education.
The Michigan Lottery contributed over $700 million to the fund in 2013. The amount increased to over $1 billion for the first time in 2019 before reaching its peak in 2021.
