The Missouri Lottery's first Scratchers game was played 30 years ago.
Now, the Lottery has given more than $5.2 billion in profits to state and public education, more than $11.3 billion in prizes to players and retail commissions exceeding $1.1 billion.
To celebrate the 30-year milestone, the Missouri Lottery is launching its first $30 Scratchers ticket, called "$300,000,000 Golden Ticket." The game offers the most prizes ever, include 15 intant winner prizes between $1 million and $10 million. In addition, three more $1 million prizes, along with several prizes of $10,000, $1,000 and $500, will be awarded through second-chance drawings during the year.
Lottery Executive Director May Scheve Reardon noted the Lottery has gone from first-year sales of $206.9 million to more than $1.15 billion annually, and proceeds of $80 million to an all-time high of $288 million. The Lottery also started with one Scratchers game and now it offers as many as 40 different games at one time and nine Draw Games. Prizes have gone from a maximum of a few million to more than half a billion.
As a self-sustaining agency, the Lottery has also grown more efficient.
"Our operating costs are one of the lowest in the industry at 4.4 percent," Reardon said. "In the early days, it was as high as 14 percent."
Since 1986, many other changes have been made to benefit players, such as being able to cash tickets at any Lottery retail location, a cash option on jackpot prizes, more drawings, as well as additional ways to buy tickets and enter promotions.
"Not to mention all the technological advancements that have happened in the last 30 years, like websites, mobile apps, loyalty programs, ticket vending machines and Check-A-Ticket machines," Reardon said.
"But the Lottery would not have been successful without the support of so many Missourians," Reardon said. "We are so grateful to the 4,700 businesses in our retail network, our vendors, legislators, Lottery commissioners and employees and, of course, the players. They all play a major role in helping the Lottery Play It Forward for public education."