Marcus Richards
The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation is in charge of the Tennessee Lottery. In November 2002, voters approved a referendum to permit a lottery in the state.
In 2003, the Senate and House passed a law to authorize the operation of games by the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation. The funds generated would be used for certain education programs within Tennessee. Here are more interesting facts about the lotto.
1. It Has Paid Billions In Prizes
The Tennessee Lottery has paid over $15.5 billion in various prizes. The biggest prize was awarded to a Munford player.
He received $528.8 million for sharing the $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot with a player in Florida and another one in California.
This was the biggest overall prize of all the Powerball jackpots in the Tennessee Lottery. Other winners include:
- $25.5 million, 2005, South Pittsburgh
- $259.8 million, 2014, Knoxville
- $50 million, 2015, Knox County
That said, discover more information about Tennessee lotto on lotteryamerica.com. Learn the different lotto games you can play and how you can participate in each of them. With that in mind, keep reading to learn more interesting things about the Tennessee Lottery.
2. It Has Made Billions In Sales
Since its inception, the Tennessee Lottery has made over $22.4 billion in total sales. The first-day ticket sales started three weeks before the expected date and generated a total of $10.8 million.
The Lottery features an extensive game selection which includes eight drawing-style and over 75 instant-ticket game. There are new instant-ticket games every month.
These tickets can be purchased at over 5,000 retailer locations within the state. The retailers earn commission and so far, they have earned over $1.4 billion.
The Tennessee Lottery VIP Rewards program gives players an extra chance to win. In the program, players can enter eligible tickets into VIP Rewards® and Play It Again! Drawings. They stand a chance to win prizes and cash.
During ticket sales, players are reminded to not only have fun but also play responsibly.
3. The Games Are Easy to Play
The Tennessee Lottery games are not only fun but also easy to play on your laptop or smartphone. The Lottery gives players both drawing-style and instant games. Playing Tennessee Lottery draw games is easy. You basically pick your numbers on the payslip and pay for your ticket. If your aim is to simply play the game, it does not matter what method you used to select numbers. It doesn’t matter what method you used to play. We suggest checking the previous Tennessee lottery results, statistics and games schedule for a better understanding.
In the computerized or drawing-style games, you can make your choice or have a computer make it for you. The computer will choose a series of numbers.
If your numbers match those that have been drawn, you win. There is a wide variety of scratch-offs and instant games. You can instantly determine if you have won.
4. You Must Pay Tax On Your Prizes
You are required to pay tax on your Tennessee lottery prizes. The prizes may also be subject to federal tax withholdings. The Tennessee Lottery also reports winnings of $60 or higher to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
If you have won a prize of $600 or more, you have to report your winnings on tax returns. When claiming the winnings, you must present a Social Security Number.
Fortunately, there is no state income taxation on Tennessee lottery winnings. However, federal income taxes have to be paid. With certain prizes, a fraction will be withheld during payout.
5. It Has Raised More Than Five Billion
The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation has managed to raise billions since its inception. More than $5.6 billion have been used to fund education programs within the state.
About 1.5 million has been used to fund grants and scholarships for students in Tennessee. They include Wilder-Naifer grants, HOPE scholarships and Tennessee Promise. It funds 15 grants and scholarship programs.
Tennessee’s Drive to 55 initiative seeks to ensure that 55 percent of the population holds a college certificate or degree by 2025. The lottery funds it as well.
Some of the money is used to support after-school programs and promote energy efficiency in schools.
Funding from the Tennessee Lottery has helped many students access higher education. Reports suggest that in the fiscal year 2018, $1.1 billion was used in the payment of prize winners.
The ticket sales added up to $1.73 billion and about 26 percent of it was distributed to education programs in the state. Retailers earned seven percent of it and four percent went into operational costs.
6. You Can Improve Your Chances of Winning
Even though winning is mostly a matter of luck, there are a few ways to improve your chances of winning.
One of the simplest ones is choosing the right games. Be choosy and do some research.
Some games are a lot better than others as they may have less competition. If you choose to play popular games, you have minimal chances of winning.
Understanding your odds is equally helpful. The Tennessee Lottery adds their lists online and you can use them to do your research.
Players that let computers choose games for them in drawn games have higher chances of winning than those who make their own choices. It, however, isn’t clear whether computers make correct choices or more people prefer the option.
Other tips to improve your likelihood of winning include;
- Avoid buying quick picks
- Do some research to find out what numbers have won before
- Play the same numbers
- Set out a budget for your lottery tickets
7. Only Adults Can Play
You have to be 18 or older to play in the Tennessee Lottery. Adults are encouraged to set in place strict parental controls on devices that children may access. This may limit their ability to access the lottery app.
According to Tennessee law, it is impossible to purchase the tickets online. All lottery tickets have to be bought in person.
They can only be bought with cash. According to the state’s lottery policy, it is impossible for winners to remain anonymous. Their home state, name, and hometown go into public record.
In conclusion, the Tennessee Lottery is interesting and it has a lot to offer. Even though Tennessee has started out a bit later than most states, its lottery has grown significantly since its inception.
The lottery gives its customers eight unique draw games to choose from. There are small lotteries to prepare players for the larger ones.
The lottery has been great for the society. It supports many local charities and education programs
