Jim Rosica
The Florida Lottery said Monday it has now contributed a total of $29 billion to the state’s education trust fund since selling its first ticket in 1988.
The good news follows a troubled year for the agency, which runs the second largest-selling lottery in the country, behind New York, in terms of sales and net revenue, according to Census figures.
“The Florida Lottery will mark its 28th year of operation on January 12, and to have surpassed $29 billion in education funding during that time is a tremendous achievement,” Florida Lottery Secretary Tom Delacenserie said in a statement.
Money from Lottery sales are about 6 percent of the state’s total education budget, according to a news release, and the Lottery is averaging “more than $100 million a month to benefit education,” including funding the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
The agency’s challenge is to focus on the positive after being plagued by controversies last year.
Former Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell — a Scott appointee — quit after four years on the job amid questions about her work habits, travel schedule, and spending.
She left her post in August though her resignation wasn’t officially effective until Oct. 1.
Her resignation came days after POLITICO Florida reported that she had taken nearly nine weeks of vacation and racked up nearly $30,000 in travel bills.
It also was revealed that The Associated Press had asked for O’Connell’s credit card bills and had inquired about her dealings with lobbyists who represent vendors seeking business with her agency.
At the same time, a dizzying increase in lottery winners — some at near-impossible odds — had been raising questions about possible fraud.
While department employees were under investigation, O’Connell was on the road, attending conferences, giving speeches or watching a Miami Heat playoff game, according to POLITICO Florida.
