Lottery sales fall in March, annual profits stay on track

BOSTON (SHNS) – March was a soft month for the Mass. Lottery, largely due to lower jackpots and elevated prize payouts, but the agency remains on track to generate at least $1 billion in profit by the time the budget year ends in two months.

The Lottery did $447.4 million in March sales, $15 million or 3.2% less than in March 2025. The biggest drags were scratch tickets (down $10.9 million or 3.6%) and Powerball (down $4.4 million or 42%). Executive Director Mark William Bracken’s report to the Lottery Commission pointed out that the highest the Powerball jackpot climbed last month was $250.8 million, less than half of the $526.5 million level reached in March 2025.

A $10.9 million increase in scratch ticket grand prizes claimed this March compared to March of last year further complicated the Lottery’s picture, Bracken said, resulting in an estimated profit of $60.4 million for the month versus $70.7 million a year earlier.

Through nine months of fiscal 2026, the Lottery has generated an estimated profit of $804.7 million, up from the $798.6 million it had spun off by this point last budget year. After adjusting for a calendar shift, Bracken said the year-over-year change is an estimated $9.1 million increase in net profit. He also pointed out a favorable prize payout rate so far this year: 73.93% vs. 74.38% at this point a year ago.

“Our draw games is our only product line that’s currently up, at 14.1%,” he said. “Our monitor games down 0.6% and our instant tickets down 3.9%.”

Treasurer Deborah Goldberg has said the Lottery is on track to return $1.05 billion in fiscal 2026 for the Legislature to use as local aid. She said the Lottery is projected to generate the same profit next year, even as online sales launch this summer.

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