How Much Education Funding Comes From The Illinois Lottery?

Lottery proceeds to the state's main education fund increased by roughly $13 million last fiscal year, according to an analysis of unaudited monthly financial reports.

In total, the Illinois Lottery transferred $691.6 million to the Common School Fund during fiscal year 2016, accounting for almost 15 percent of General State Aid appropriations for K-12 education.

Over the past decade, the lottery has transferred an average of $650 million to the Common School Fund each year, with annual contributions rising from $670.5 million to more than $691 million during that time.

The lottery was established in 1974 with the notion it would adequately fund public education. While nearly $19 billion has been transferred to the Common School Fund since then, some have criticized the program for not covering as much school funding as originally planned.

Proceeds from lottery sales typically make up between 13 percent and 15 percent of General State Aid appropriations for K-12 schools, but how do these hundreds of millions of education dollars compare to the billions in revenue the lottery brings in each year?

We've created an infographic showing the lottery's total revenue and expenses since 2006, and how much has been transferred to the Common School Fund during that time.

At the bottom of the graphic is a pie chart that shows CSF transfers as a percentage of lottery revenue and General State Aid appropriations. Hover over the data points to see exact amounts and click on the years to see the lottery's finances for that fiscal year.

The infographic can be found here.