Virginia Lottery Sales Surge 36% With iLotto Boost

During the previous quarter, sales of Virginia Lottery experienced a significant increase, contributing to the agency’s ongoing recovery from a temporary decline in retail sales caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Virginia Lottery Executive Director, Kevin Hall, recently spoke before the Virginia Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committee, where he affirmed the lottery’s positive performance at the beginning of the new fiscal year.

In the previous 12-month period, ending on June 30, the Virginia Lottery recorded a total sales figure of $2.15 billion and generated proceeds exceeding $595 million, as previously disclosed.

The most recent fiscal year achieved the third-highest profits ever recorded. Furthermore, total sales of the Virginia Lottery ranked second in historical records. It is worth noting that the VA Lottery was on track to surpass both records, but the spring sales were temporarily impeded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, Hall informed the committee on Tuesday that the commencement of this latest fiscal year has been remarkably promising.

Virginia Lottery sales boom in Q1

During the meeting, Hall delivered an encouraging message to the committee regarding the sales and revenue from July 1 to Sept. 31.

According to Hall, lottery sales witnessed a remarkable 36% surge, amounting to an increase of $181.5 million, during the first quarter of the fiscal year when compared to the previous year. Moreover, profits also experienced a 12% rise, totaling an increase of $27.4 million.

From January to April this year, there was a decline in sales compared to the same period the previous year. However, in May, sales experienced a positive growth of 9%. Furthermore, every month following May has witnessed an increase in sales of more than ten percent. This upward trend also extends to the fiscal year Q1 results.

• July: +17%
• August: +11%
• September: +13%

During the spring, Hall consistently highlighted that the Virginia Lottery, which began operating in 1987, was the sole option available due to pandemic-induced measures such as shelter-in-place mandates and business limitations. Furthermore, numerous Rosie’s historical horse racing terminals and retail-based skill game machines in Virginia were shut down by operators. Additionally, neighboring states’ casinos remained closed.

Similarly, the VA Lottery has also implemented COVID-19 protocols. Lottery offices have been temporarily shut down, and it is anticipated that the majority of the workforce will continue to operate remotely until early 2021. Nonetheless, the lottery has resumed operations at its eight prize-claim centers across the state.

As Hall said:

I am delighted to announce that our business has maintained its efficient, safe, and successful operations, prioritizing the safety of our employees, customers, retail partners, and their families. Our dedicated employees have shown immense creativity and commitment throughout this period. Additionally, as the director of the agency, I am pleased to report that our workforce of approximately 300 lottery employees is in good health.

The Virginia Lottery has been occupied with managing the current lotto games. Nevertheless, in the coming year, officials will be in charge of supervising several significant ventures. These include making arrangements for the introduction of the first casinos in Virginia and initiating online sports betting in the state.

iLotto boosts VA Lottery sales

The launch of iLottery options at VALottery.com marked the beginning of a successful fiscal year for the Virginia Lottery.

By utilizing the online platform, VA Lottery participants have the convenience of playing lottery games through their smartphones, tablets, and computers. They have the opportunity to buy tickets for well-known multi-state draw games like Mega Millions, Powerball, and Cash4Life. Moreover, they can engage in 18 diverse online instant games, including the availability of playing keno.

On July 1, the iLotto platform was launched.

Recently, VA Lottery officials announced that since the launch, a total of $130 million in prizes has been shared among 65,000 registered players during the 16 weeks of operation. This impressive achievement is a result of an expedited timeline, which is expected to significantly increase revenue in the current fiscal year.

According to Hall, launching an iLottery platform usually requires a year or more. However, we were able to accomplish it in less than four months. This achievement implies that we will generate unexpected revenue for several additional months.

Despite the introduction of online play, the lottery’s traditional offerings at its 5,300 retail locations remained unaffected. According to Hall, the retail numbers for 2020 have also witnessed a rise in sales of scratch-off tickets (an increase of 8%) and draw games like Pick 3 and Pick 4 (an increase of 23%) compared to Q1 2019. Overall, despite the expansion of online play, retail sales have seen a 10% increase.

Hall expressed their happiness at seeing it.

Hall also announced that the VA Lottery will be installing new self-service machines in 100 Walmart stores and 250 CVS locations throughout Virginia, further demonstrating their dedication to expanding retail options.