NC Education Lottery Raises $634 million in Fiscal 2016

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The N.C. Education Lottery is reporting it raised $634 million in fiscal year 2016 to help support education programs in North Carolina.

Final but unaudited results show overall lottery revenues of $2.39 billion and earnings of $634 million. Lottery revenues grew 21 percent higher than the previous year while earnings increased 22 percent.

Executive Director Alice Garland said the record sales were bolstered by the increasing popularity of the lottery's instant games and the world-record $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot in January.

The new results were reported Tuesday to the quarterly meeting of the N.C. Education Lottery Commission.