Every time you play the lottery, it’s a win for Michigan. Every Lottery purchase benefits K-12 education, gives a lift to local businesses, and supports companies that employ Michigan residents.
About 97 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned to the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players, and commissions to vendors and retailers. For every $1 spent on Lottery tickets, 27 cents goes to the state’s School Aid Fund, 61 cents goes to prizes for players, and 9 cents goes to retailer and vendor commissions. Over the last five years, retailers throughout the state, many of which are small independently owned businesses, have collected nearly $1.7 billion in commissions.
Since it began in 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $28 billion to support public education in Michigan. For the most recent year, the Lottery’s contribution to the School Aid Fund topped $1 billion for the fifth consecutive year. Michigan’s K-12 public school system serves about 1.4 million students. Funding provided by the Lottery is equal to more than $920 for each student who attends a K-12 public school, or more than $3.5 million each day for schools throughout the state.
In addition to helping provide funding for public education in Michigan, the Lottery also has established the Excellence in Education program to recognize outstanding educators.
Every week during the school year, the Michigan Lottery selects one outstanding educator to receive the Excellence in Education award. Each weekly award winner receives a cash prize, receives a plaque, and is featured in their own news segment featured on news stations throughout the state.
At the end of the school year, the Michigan Lottery selects one weekly winner to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and a $10,000 cash prize.
All public-school employees may be nominated for the Excellence in Education awards. To learn more about the Excellence in Education program, please visit https://www.michiganlottery.com/excellence-in-education.