Louisiana Lottery Celebrates
Twenty Years of Winning Numbers in 2011
After being approved by voters by a seven-to-three margin in 1990 and subsequently launching its first scratch-off game in 1991, the Louisiana Lottery Corporation is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2011 with a host of player promotions and games.
"For 20 years, we have been generating winning numbers that give Louisianans plenty of reasons to smile, including over $2.4 billion contributed to our state, more than $3 billion paid to winners and upwards of $365.4 million issued to retail partners since our inception," said Lottery President Rose Hudson. "Even considering today's economic realities, the Lottery continues to exceed revenue projections while transferring 35 percent of sales to help fund K-12 public education. That's the highest transfer percentage of any state lottery."
Louisiana Lottery games continue to be a popular pastime among adults. Fiscal year 2011 Lottery sales totaled $385 million, resulting in the Lottery's second best year ever.
"We take our players' trust in our products seriously. Toward that end, the Louisiana Lottery was the first lottery in the country to receive verification that our quality assurance procedures meet industry best practices, and we continue to receive an unqualified opinion from the legislative auditor," Hudson added. "This focus on integrity is something for which Louisiana can be proud."
Hudson credits much of the Lottery's success to creating new and exciting products that provide added value for players' entertainment dollar.
"Looking back, so much has changed over the past 20 years," said Hudson. "The Lottery now offers an online players club with exclusive second-chance promotions, partners regularly with other Louisiana brands, features state-of-the-art 24/7 touch-screen retailer equipment and interacts with thousands of players in the social media sphere. But one thing that hasn't changed is you can still play for only a buck."
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Lottery has been launching special promotions all year long. In January, social media fans and followers of the Lottery registered for a chance to win a parade ride giveaway by sharing their favorite Mardi Gras traditions on Facebook. Members of the Lottery's online players club, Club Lotteaux, also had a similar opportunity. The Lottery utilized social media to showcase carnival nostalgia, including sample artwork from its 20 years of past Mardi Gras-themed tickets.
In February, the Lottery brought back its popular raffle game with a new twist. Not only did Millionaire Bonus Raffle offer the Lottery's best odds to win $1 million, but players had a chance to win $20,000 in five preliminary bonus drawings. With this year's raffle game, the earlier players purchased their tickets, the more chances they had to win.
In the spring, the corporation sponsored a 20th Anniversary T-shirt Design Contest around the theme of its anniversary, "Twenty Years of Winning Numbers." Facebook fans voted for the grand prize winners, Cindy and Valerie Strecker of Slidell. Their artwork is showcased on the Lottery's official anniversary T-shirt.
On Sept. 6, the Lottery launched a special 20th Anniversary Collectionof scratch-off games, including $5 Celebrate!, $2 Louisiana Treasures and $1 Play OH!. The games bring back nostalgia from some of the Lottery's first games ever launched 20 years ago. Retail establishments that have sold Lottery games since the corporation's inception in 1991 have also received special recognition throughout the year.
"It's a wonderful time to look back on how much the Louisiana Lottery has contributed to our state monetarily and culturally," Hudson noted, "as well as thank those business partners, employees and Louisianans who helped make it happen."
Louisiana Lottery 20th Anniversary
Historical Timeline (1990-2000)
Here's a look back on the Louisiana Lottery Corporation's twenty years of milestones and accomplishments...
| 1990 October 6. Louisiana voters approve a constitutional amendment creating the Louisiana Lottery Corporation by a 7 to 3 margin. | |||||||||||||||
 1991September 6. The first instant scratch-off game, Louisiana Treasures, goes on sale. 1992  January 22. The first draw-style jackpot game, Lotto, is introduced with a starting jackpot of $2 million. August 31. Pick 3 launches with daily drawings. September 26. The Robert H. LeBas Family Partnership of Church Point claims the largest recorded Lotto jackpot of $21,208,165. | |||||||||||||||
| 1993 November. Cumulative Lottery sales top the $1 billion mark. | |||||||||||||||
 1994May 8. The Lottery begins using automated drawing machines for daily Pick 3 drawings. 1995 March 5. The Lottery becomes the 19th lottery of the now  44 to join the multistate game Powerball. The Lottery also begins offering Easy 5 until Oct. 1998.1996 January 15. The Problem Gambling Helpline is launched by the state and the Lottery adds the number to all tickets and advertising. February 14. Louisiana experiences its first Powerball jackpot winner with two more jackpot-winning tickets sold for the Feb. 29 and July 17 drawings. | |||||||||||||||
 1997March 16. The Lottery begins offering the multistate game Daily Millions until April 1998. | |||||||||||||||
1998 October 12. Cash Quest is introduced with drawings on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Drawings are increased to five days a week in May 2003 until the game ends in Sept. 2007. | |||||||||||||||
1999 March 1. Pick 4 is introduced with daily drawings. December. Cumulative treasury transfers reach $1 billion. 2000  September 9. The Lottery begins offering the multistate game Rolldown until April 2002. | |||||||||||||||
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2001
2005
2007
January. Powerball's starting jackpot jumps to $20 million to make it the largest starting jackpot of any lotto-style game in the world. The Lottery partners with Louisiana music legend Al "Carnival Time" Johnson to celebrate his anthem's 50th anniversary in conjunction with the promotion of its Mardi Gras scratch-off.
December. The Lottery partners with the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club to launch the first-ever Mardi Gras scratch-off game featuring a parade krewe brand.
TREASURY TRANSFERSThe Louisiana Lottery is required by its statute to transfer 35 percent of its revenue to the state treasury, which has resulted in a contribution of more than $2.4 billion since its inception. The Louisiana Lottery ranks first nationwide in the percentage of revenue it is mandated to transfer to its government.
According to a report from the Legislative Fiscal Office for calendar year 2009, Lottery transfers represent 15.1 percent of total gaming industry proceeds transferred to the state, but the Lottery's share of total state gaming spending is only 4.6 percent. The reason for this difference is the effective tax rate. The Lottery's effective tax rate, which is the share of net revenue after prize expense transferred to the state, is 72.6 percent compared to an effective tax rate of 30 percent for video poker, the next highest taxed form of gaming.
Effective July 1, 2004, the Louisiana constitution provides that Lottery proceeds be dedicated to the Minimum Foundation Program, which funds K-12 public education in Louisiana. The dedication was a result of a 2003 constitutional amendment which passed 64 percent to 36 percent.
Historical Fiscal Year Treasury Transfers
Transfers began in September 1991
in millions
Average Yearly Transfer Since Inception: $119.2 million.
Quarterly Treasury Transfer News Release Archive.
LOTTERY SALES
When the Louisiana Legislature first considered a state lottery as a way to generate revenue without additional taxes, it based its decision on an estimated $129 million to $164 million in annual sales, which the Lottery has surpassed every year, even with the subsequent proliferation of other forms of gaming in the state. The Lottery is the only form of gaming in Louisiana which is "state-owned," although it functions as a corporation. Sales since inception through fiscal year 2011 are over $6.7 billion. According to a report from the Legislative Fiscal Office, Lottery 2009 sales represent 4.6 percent of total revenue (net of prizes) brought in by the gaming industry in Louisiana. Total fiscal year 2011 sales were $385 million.
Fiscal Year Historical Lottery Sales
in millions
Fiscal Year 2010 Sales Per Game
in millions