Illinois Lottery Achieves Record Sales, Generates Funding For K-12 Education
CHICAGO, October 26, 2026 — The Illinois Lottery has delivered another strong year of results, generating $3.87 billion in total sales. The Lottery continues to grow sales year-over-year with four of the past five years being record years.
The Lottery generated $804 million in proceeds for the State of Illinois — its fourth-best year for Net Income returns — resulting in $792 million in contributions to the Common School Fund to support K-12 public education and $12 million for local good causes.
The year’s record sales demonstrate that Illinois Lottery players continue to support one of the state’s most vital institutions: public education. Despite operating in one of the most competitive gaming markets in the country, the Illinois Lottery continues to generate sustainable funding for schools and the causes that matter most to Illinois families.
“Reaching record sales again is a tremendous achievement for the Illinois Lottery, and it reflects the trust our players put in us every day,” said Harold Mays, Director of the Illinois Lottery. “We remain focused on giving our players fun, responsible ways to play while generating funding for K-12 education and the good causes we support.”
During the 2026 fiscal year, the Illinois Lottery also achieved the highest level of responsible gaming from the World Lottery Association. By recertifying its responsible gaming program at Level 4 — the highest possible standard — the Illinois Lottery reaffirmed its commitment to player protection and responsible gaming practices.
Illinois Lottery players are also winning big, collecting more than $2.7 billion in prizes from nearly 107.5 million winning tickets. Of those wins, 147 lucky players won prizes of $1 million or more, including one Illinois iLottery player who won a $536 million Mega Millions® jackpot.
Illinois Lottery retailers also benefited from strong sales, receiving $176.5 million in commission and bonuses during fiscal year 2026 for selling lottery tickets.
“Achieving the Lottery’s mission relies heavily on our retailers, who are both the face of the Lottery in their local communities and an important part of its economic engine,” said Mays.
With Allwyn North America serving as the operating partner of the Illinois Lottery and its iLottery provider, the Lottery reached another digital milestone this year with record online sales of $757 million.
“Our record-breaking year underscores the strength of Allwyn’s partnership with the Department of the Lottery,” said Khalid Jones, CEO at Allwyn North America. “By continuing to invest in new games and a modern digital experience, we’re giving players more ways to engage responsibly while growing the Lottery’s ability to fund education across Illinois.”
The Illinois Lottery’s fiscal year 2026 runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. The operating income figure of $804 million is still to be audited and confirmed. Audited full year lottery returns to the state will be published later in the year. For more information, please visit www.illinoislottery.com.
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About the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery, founded in 1974, has contributed over $25 billion to the State’s Common School Fund in support of K-12 public education in Illinois since 1985. The Common School Fund is the Illinois Lottery’s primary beneficiary, receiving nearly 99% of Illinois Lottery proceeds. The Illinois Lottery also supports various specialty causes as described in the Illinois Lottery Law (20 ILCS 1605/21.4). For more information about the Illinois Lottery and the causes we support, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.