The Florida Lotto craze is on. Tickets flew out the door as sales broke records
People were hungry for those big Powerball and Mega Millions prizes this month as they spent hundreds of millions of dollars on tickets, breaking an all-time sales record.
On Tuesday, the Florida Lottery announced ticket sales for the week ending Jan. 17 reached an all-time high of $239.8 million. The previous single-week sales record was set in January 2016 at $230.7 million.
“Thanks to Secretary Davis and the Florida Lottery for their hard work,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. “For more than three decades, lottery dollars have benefited students and schools across Florida, and this record sales milestone will only help to further that mission.”
Lottery officials say the surge in ticket sales was driven by scratch-off purchases and the Powerball and Mega Millions Draw games. The Mega Millions’ jackpot reached $1 billion and was won by a player in Michigan. The Powerball jackpot reached $640 million and a man from Bowling Green bought the lucky ticket.
“We are extremely excited and grateful to our loyal players for this unprecedented sales record,” Lottery Secretary John F. Davis said. “This record sales week translates into more prizes for players, higher commissions for Lottery retailers, and best of all, more revenues to enhance education in our great state.”
This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 7:55 PM.
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