Supporting Rappahannock County education

In 2018, the Lottery contributed more than $500 million to Virginia’s public schools. Last year, Rappahannock County Public Schools alone received $126,086 in Lottery generated funding.

At the Virginia Lottery, we take playing seriously. Fun matters. Excitement matters. And so does the education of Rappahannock County’s youngest residents. It's the reason we play so enthusiastically. Every time you scratch a ticket or pick your numbers for the big jackpot, you are creating winners in education all over Virginia, including Rappahannock.

Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been used for K-12 public education in Virginia.

In 2018, the Lottery contributed more than $500 million to Virginia's public schools. Last year, Rappahannock County Public Schools alone received $126,086 in Lottery generated funding.

In Fiscal Year 2018, the Virginia Lottery had sales of more than $2.1 billion. Of this total, the Lottery generated more than $606 million, or 28.3 percent of sales, for K-12 public education (this number represents about 10 percent of the state’s entire budget for education), 61.1 percent

went back to players in the form of prizes, 5.7 percent went to the retailers who sell Virginia Lottery tickets, and 4.9 percent went to operational expenses.

When Virginians voted in 1987 for a state-operated lottery, some people assumed that they voted on how to spend the Lottery's proceeds. This was not the case. Lottery proceeds, which are approximately one-third of Lottery sales, were to be used as determined by the General Assembly.

The use of the proceeds has changed over time. In 1989, Lottery proceeds were dedicated to capital-construction projects. From 1990 to 1998, Lottery proceeds were transferred to the state's General Fund.

Starting in 1999, a state budget In addition, by law, all unclaimed Virginia Lottery prizes go to the Literary Fund. The Literary Fund is used solely for educational purposes such as upgrading technology in schools and teacher retirement funding.

The Lottery transferred $14.1 million to the Literary Fund in FY 2018. Since 1988, the Lottery has transferred more than $289.2 million in unclaimed prizes to the Literary Fund.

Also, the Lottery participates in the Set-Off Debt Collection Act, in which prize payments are withheld to pay certain obligations that the prize winner owes. Examples of these obligations are state and federal taxes, child support and tuition from state universities or colleges.