THANKS A BILLION SOUTH CAROLINA!
SC Education Lottery continues to celebrate milestones with its 4th Anniversary!
Columbia, SC (January 6, 2006):In less than four years,South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) officials have achieved their most significant accomplishment ever,transferring the One Billionth Dollar to the Education Lottery Account.The citizens of South Carolina may recognize this accomplishment,achieved in less than four years of operations,in a variety of ways: college scholarships, new school buses, public school funding and additional teacher training to name just a few.
This milestone could not have been achieved without the support of our stakeholders: the people of the Palmetto State,'said Ernie Passailaigue, SCELs Executive Director.
Here are some of the financial highlights of calendar year 2005:
- Players won more than $656.2 million in prizes,including four individuals who each won $1 million.
- More than $74 million was paid to retailers in the form of commissions.
- The Department of Revenue collected more than $5.1 million in state income taxes on winnings greater than $500.
- Debt set-off collections totaled more than $86,400.
- SCEL ranked first among lotteries nationwide in the increase of percentage growth of both total sales and instant ticket sales in 2005’s third quarter, as compared to the same quarter of 2004. Source: La Fleur’s magazine, December 2005.
- The Lottery experienced record-breaking sales at the 2005 State Fair.
2005 was another record-setting year, and we are confident that our coordinated marketing plan will enable us to meet the educational funding goals for fiscal 2006, said Passailaigue.
Marketing highlights for 2005 included:
- Palmetto Cash 5,featuring the Power-Up multiplier, was launched and features a top prize of $500,000.
- The Lottery’s first in-state Powerball promotion was held with LOVE Chevrolet— Drive Away with PowerPlay.
- Clean$weep, a partnership with PalmettoPride,which encourages players to be environmentally responsible by mailing ten non-winning tickets to SCEL for a chance to win a $50 cash prize, was reintroduced.
What to look for in 2006:
- A new, user friendly website, which will allow for online registration of promotional prizes and second-chance drawings.
- A two-minute weekly television game show is in the development stage.
- A new online game is in the development stage.
Top Retailers and Sales for 2005:
- Carowinds Convenience - $10,696,205.50
- Borderline Mini Mart - $4,350,835.50
- Kountry Mart - $4,160,734.00
- Miller Produce & Farm - $3,822,360.00
- Clover Shop and Save - $3,700,471.00
- Red Rocket Fireworks - $3,307,072.00
- Ruby’s - $3,266,055.00
- The Rocket Group – $3,253,706.00
- Circle K Stores #5116 - $3,224,492.00
- Petro Express #26 - $3,142,859.00
On Monday, January 9, 2006, players are encouraged to bring in four non-winning tickets to any claims center to receive an anniversary gift while supplies last.
All SCEL net proceeds fund enhanced educational opportunities for South Carolinians.Lottery funds have been used to support a variety of educational programs, including K-12 enhancements,higher education scholarships, gambling addiction services,county libraries and technology upgrades.For more information on how lottery dollars are appropriated, see www.budget.sc.gov and click on Education Lottery.
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