If you are curious or have questions about the West Virginia Lottery, including what happens to the proceeds of lottery ticket and scratch-off purchases, then you’re in the right place.
To help gain some clarity on this, we’ve put together some information about the sales, profits and proceeds of the WV Lottery. So, if you’re ready to know more about where exactly your money goes when purchasing your Lottery ticket, read on as we explain everything you need to know.
Exactly where does the Lottery money go?
You’ll be pleased to know that over 50% of the revenue from West Virginia Lottery instant and draw tickets is returned to players as prizes. State law mandates that at least 45% of total revenue be allocated to prizes.
Retailers earn 7% of sales revenue, while no more than 15% can be used for operating costs.
The remaining funds from bets that are not won or claimed as prizes are deposited into the State Lottery Fund and appropriated by the Legislature to support education, senior citizen programs, and tourism.
Where do profits from tickets sold in West Virginia go?
Despite some Lottery games being played across states, the profits from all POWERBALL© and MEGA MILLIONS® tickets sold in West Virginia stay within the state. This ensures that the money raised benefits West Virginia directly and, in turn, its citizens.
Do retailers get any benefits from selling Lottery tickets?
Retailers who sell Lottery tickets in West Virginia earn a 7% commission on all ticket sales. As well as this, they can receive other incentives, including:
- A 1% cashing bonus on prizes ranging from $1 to $600.
- A 1% selling bonus on prizes of $500 or more, with a cap of $100,000 for significant wins like POWERBALL© and MEGA MILLIONS®
- Retailers may also participate in special promotions.
Who decides how Lottery proceeds are used?
The West Virginia Legislature decides how Lottery proceeds are allocated each year. The net profits from the State Lottery Fund are distributed to various programs, primarily benefiting education, senior services, and tourism.
This includes initiatives like providing classroom computers, supporting the School Building Authority, and funding programs under Education & Arts, Senior Services, and Natural Resources.
The West Virginia Lottery itself does not have control over how the proceeds are spent.
Now you know where your money goes when you play at the West Virginia Lottery, let’s take a quick look at what games are on offer.
- Ca$hPop – multiple draws, seven days a week, from 5:01am to 3:45am.
- POWERBALL© – drawn Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- MEGA MILLIONS®– drawn Tuesdays and Fridays.
- LOTTO AMERICA©– drawn Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- Daily 3 – drawn Monday through Saturday.
- Daily 4 – drawn Mondays through Saturday.
- Cash25 – drawn Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
- KENO GO– multiple draws, seven days a week, from 5:01am to 3:46am.
With such a wide selection of Draw games on offer, as well as scratch-offs, there’s something for every gameplay style. So, which game best suits your gameplay style?
