Kansas Revenue Fund Wins Big in Record Mega Millions Draw

Lottery retailers in Kansas sold more Mega Millions tickets in the week leading up to the March 30 world record-breaking jackpot than in the first three months of the year combined. Lottery players -- even the ones who did not win the jackpot – are cashing in and so is the state. 

Kansas had 82,798 winners in the mega jackpot draw, cashing in on prizes from $2 to the now $656 million jackpot amount ($218 million goes to the Kansas jackpot ticket holder) for a total of $219.3 million in prizes that will be paid to players. 

The State of Kansas is a mega winner in its own right, netting approximately $2 million in profit from the sale of Mega Millions tickets alone since January this year. Add to that the required state income withholding from prizes paid to Kansas’ three top tier winners in last Friday’s draw, $7.9 million, and Mega Millions becomes a mega windfall for Kansas’ State Gaming Revenues Fund. The fund is dedicated to economic development initiatives, prison construction and maintenance projects, local juvenile detention facilities, problem gambling and addictions assistance, and the State General Fund. 

“Each dollar we can transfer to the state is one dollar toward hopefully reducing the tax burden for Kansas residents,” said Dennis Wilson, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery. “This Mega Millions jackpot may very well prove to be the catalyst for the Lottery’s biggest year ever.”

Between January 24 of this year, the last time the Mega Millions jackpot was hit, and the record $656 million jackpot last Friday, the Kansas Lottery sold approximately $6.7 million in Mega Million tickets.  More than $4 million tickets were sold last week alone, with sales on the day of the draw reaching $3,500 per minute at times. 

All this great news comes on the heels of another state lottery record – a six-week stretch of sales of more than $5 million per week, from February 4 through March 10. Then, three weeks later, sales skyrocket to $8.6 million, $4.1 million in Mega Millions sales alone, the week ending March 31. 

So, in a year when the Kansas Lottery celebrates its 25th Anniversary, celebration is becoming a theme.

Lottery retailers in Kansas sold more Mega Millions tickets in the week leading up to the March 30 world record-breaking jackpot than in the first three months of the year combined. Lottery players -- even the ones who did not win the jackpot – are cashing in and so is the state. 
Kansas had 82,798 winners in the mega jackpot draw, cashing in on prizes from $2 to the now $656 million jackpot amount ($218 million goes to the Kansas jackpot ticket holder) for a total of $219.3 million in prizes that will be paid to players. 
The State of Kansas is a mega winner in its own right, netting approximately $2 million in profit from the sale of Mega Millions tickets alone since January this year. Add to that the required state income withholding from prizes paid to Kansas’ three top tier winners in last Friday’s draw, $7.9 million, and Mega Millions becomes a mega windfall for Kansas’ State Gaming Revenues Fund. The fund is dedicated to economic development initiatives, prison construction and maintenance projects, local juvenile detention facilities, problem gambling and addictions assistance, and the State General Fund. 
“Each dollar we can transfer to the state is one dollar toward hopefully reducing the tax burden for Kansas residents,” said Dennis Wilson, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery. “This Mega Millions jackpot may very well prove to be the catalyst for the Lottery’s biggest year ever.”
Between January 24 of this year, the last time the Mega Millions jackpot was hit, and the record $656 million jackpot last Friday, the Kansas Lottery sold approximately $6.7 million in Mega Million tickets.  More than $4 million tickets were sold last week alone, with sales on the day of the draw reaching $3,500 per minute at times. 
All this great news comes on the heels of another state lottery record – a six-week stretch of sales of more than $5 million per week, from February 4 through March 10. Then, three weeks later, sales skyrocket to $8.6 million, $4.1 million in Mega Millions sales alone, the week ending March 31. 
So, in a year when the Kansas Lottery celebrates its 25th Anniversary, celebration is becoming a theme.