A safe bet for education: California Lottery generates $2.25 billion for public schools

There have been some big winners in the 40 years of the California Lottery, but none so big as the state's public schools, which have reaped roughly $46 billion from player wagers. (Jeremy Brooks/Flickr, CC BY-NC) The California Lottery raised more than $2.25 billion for the state’s public schools in 2024, bringing to $46 billion the total the lottery has generated for education since its inception in 1985.This is the third year in a row that the lottery has generated more than $2 billion for education, according to lottery officials. Sales from the recent Mega Millions jackpot alone resulted in an estimated $78.8 million for public schools.California Lottery sales reached $9.27 billion during fiscal year 2023-24, surpassing the previous sales record of $9.24 billion set the year before. Lottery funds are discretionary and can be used by school districts to supplement the general fund, attract and retain teachers, fund after-school programs, or other uses.This story originally appeared in EdSource.