Kentucky Lottery Marks Record Year in Sales

The Kentucky Lottery Corp. is celebrating a record-setting year for sales.

The lottery said Monday that fiscal year sales totaled $823.5 million, breaking the 2009 record of $810.5 million. The 2012 total is up $51.2 million, or 6.6 percent, from last year.

Chief Financial Officer Howard Kline attributed the growth to improving economic conditions and scratch-off ticket changes. He also cited the change of Powerball to a $2 game and a new 5 Card Cash game. Powerball sales were up $11.1 million for the year for a 15.4 percent increase, while 5 Card Cash added $10.8 million in new sales.

The lottery said in a statement that it also returned a record $216.4 million to the state for scholarship and grants programs. The previous high was $214.3 million in 2010.