
Want to know
more than the headlines

Return to Index

|
The World-Wide
Lottery Guide is brought to you with the compliments of
Washington State Lottery |
Address: |
814 E. 4TH AVENUE OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON 98506
|
Internet: |
www.walottery.com |
Phone: |
(360) 664-4720 |
Fax: |
(360) 664-2630 |
Population: |
6.256 million |
Acting Lottery Director: |
Marcus Glasper |
Year Lottery Founded: |
1982 |
Sales FY 2016: |
$694,875,068 |
Sales Per Capita: |
$78.73 |
Number of Employees: |
152 |
Retailers: |
4,018 |
On-line Vendor: |
GTECH |
Instant Ticket Vendor: |
Sci Games |
Advertising: |
Big River |
ITVMs: |
GTECH |
Games Offered: |
Scratch Games, Lotto 6/49, The Daily Game, Daily Keno,
Hit 5, and Mega Millions |
Beneficiaries: |
proceeds go to the Education Construction Fund, stadium
debt reduction, economic development, problem gambling prevention and the
states general fund. |
Jurisdiction: |
Washington State |
Washingtons
Lottery Legislation creating Washingtons Lottery was signed
into law on July 16, 1982, and the Lottery began ticket sales four months later
on November 15. The first instant game offered was Pot O Gold, and more
than 9.6 million tickets were sold during the initial week. The
Lotterys first draw game, Triple Choice, was introduced in January 1984;
it was later renamed The Daily Game. Lotto followed in July that year. With
only three product lines, by January 1988 cumulative sales had topped $1
billion, some $300 million more than the most optimistic 1982 projections had
predicted for the Lotterys first six years. It wasnt until 1990
that another draw game hit the market, when Quinto debuted in May. The current
draw games offered by Washingtons Lottery include Mega Millions,
Powerball, Lotto, Hit 5, The Daily Game, Match 4 and Daily Keno. When
Washingtons Lottery was first established, there was such a need for
state revenue in several areas that legislators did not want to pass a bill
dedicating revenues to education. So for the first few years, Lottery proceeds
were sent to the states General Fund. That changed beginning in July 2001
after voters approved a measure to redirect revenues to education the previous
November. Another change took place in 2010, when legislators passed Senate
Bill 6409, which sends most of the Lotterys profits to the Washington
Opportunity Pathways Account to support programs such as the State Need Grant,
the State Work Study program, and early learning programs. Approximately 65
percent of the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account goes toward helping
Washingtons students achieve their higher education dreams by funding
college scholarships and state financial aid programs. The remaining amount is
used to support early childhood learning programs In 2011, legislation was
passed directing the Lottery to hold an annual Veterans Raffle to benefit
veterans programs in the state.

|
|