VIRGINIA – While no one in our area won big Wednesday night, a Virginia Lottery spokesperson said that the Commonwealth still benefited.
Schools receive funding for ticket sales. The Powerball jackpot run that began in July generated more than $30 million for K-12 education in Virginia.
This past fiscal year, the lottery raised more than $867 million for school-aged kids. Of that, Roanoke City Schools received around $19 million.
Lottery funds make up approximately 10 percent of the state’s school budget.
“Playing the lottery is a choice, but every Virginian benefits by the Virginia Lottery whether or not they buy a ticket,” Virginia Lottery spokesperson John Hagerty said.
Wednesday’s winning ticket, almost $2 billion, was bought in California.