Last week, the Florida Lottery (Lottery) showcased its accomplishments and milestones achieved in 2021, during Gov. Ron DeSantis’ third year in office.
“As I reflect on the Lottery’s accomplishments this year, I am honored to serve the citizens of Florida as Secretary of the Florida Lottery, under Governor DeSantis,” said Florida Lottery Sec. John Davis. “This year was one for the record books; for the first time in the Lottery’s 33-year history, we exceeded $2 billion in education contributions in a single fiscal year! The positive impact the Lottery has on students, their families, and schools is felt in communities across the state. Under Governor DeSantis’ guidance and leadership, the Lottery will continue to further our education mission and will strive to ensure every student in Florida knows that a quality education is attainable, and a brighter future is possible.”
In 2021, the Lottery:
SET RECORDS FOR SALES AND TRANSFERS TO EDUCATION
Record sales and education contributions were reached during Fiscal Year 2020-21.
The Florida Lottery celebrated its tenth consecutive record-breaking sales year – exceeding $9.0 billion in annual sales for fiscal year 2020-21/ This represents an increase of approximately $1.5 billion year-over-year.
As a result of this unprecedented sales year, the Lottery transferred a record $2.2 billion to the EETF in fiscal year 2020-21; marking the first time in the Lottery’s 33-year history that education contributions exceeded $2 billion in a single fiscal year.
January’s EETF transfer set an all-time record.
In January, the Lottery’s EETF transfer exceeded $269 million—the largest contribution to the EETF in the Lottery’s 33-year history. This year, the Lottery averaged more than $5.8 million a day to benefit education.
Reached two major milestones in contributions to education.
In March, transfers to the EETF brought the Lottery’s life-to-date education contributions to more than $39 billion. Six months later, in September, the Lottery surpassed $40 billion in contributions to education since 1988.
In February, Secretary Davis joined Governor DeSantis and former NFL Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin in establishing a COVID-19 vaccine site at Anquan Boldin Stadium in Pahokee. The establishment of this site was a continuation of the Governor’s ongoing efforts to identify areas where there may be difficulty in accessibility to the COVID-19 vaccine and serve diverse communities in Florida.
CELEBRATED FLORIDA’S 15TH AND 16TH POWERBALL JACKPOT WINNERS
On April 15, 2021, Thomas Yi, of Land O’ Lakes, claimed the $235.4 million jackpot from the POWERBALL drawing held on March 27, 2021 – becoming Florida’s 15th POWERBALL jackpot winner.
Yi chose to receive his winnings in a one-time, lump-sum payment in the amount of $160,038,447.27.
Yi shared that despite the money, he still wants to pursue higher education in either a business or medical field.
Yi is the youngest player in Florida Lottery history to claim a POWERBALL jackpot prize.
On June 16, Clay Tousey, trustee of the Love You More Trust, of Ponte Vedra Beach, claimed the $286 million jackpot from the POWERBALL drawing held on June 5, 2021 – becoming Florida’s 16th POWERBALL jackpot winner.
The Love You More Trust chose to receive the winnings in a one-time, lump-sum payment in the amount of $196,706,252.17.
RECEIVED FINANCIAL REPORTING AWARD FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
In September, the Florida Lottery’s Division of Accounting received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its 2019-20 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, marking the fourth consecutive year the Lottery has received the award. The GFOA award is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting and is awarded to entities who go above and beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles, indicating a spirit of transparency and full disclosure.
