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People spent more money on the Georgia Lottery over the past year than the prior one, sending more than $1 billion to public educational programs for the 11th year in a row.

The more than $1.5 billion raised during fiscal year 2026, which ended June 30, exceeded the prior fiscal year profit by nearly $70 million, according to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office.

Since 1993, the Georgia Lottery Corp. has given financial aid to more than 2.3 million college students through the HOPE Scholarship Program. It also has paid for 4-year-olds to attend pre-kindergarten, with more than 2.2 million having participated in the voluntary program.

The ongoing strength in lottery sales led the state to restore scholarship amounts to fully cover tuition at Georgia public colleges and universities.

That, along with the removal of the higher education institutional fee, will keep education accessible and affordable, Kemp said in a statement.

Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin said fiscal year 2026 was “an exceptionally strong” one.

It was also a big year for whoever bought a winning Mega Millions ticket in Newnan in November. In January, that person claimed the largest lottery prize in history — $983 million.