VALDOSTA – COVID-19 didn’t stop the Georgia Lottery Corporation from having a record year, benefiting education in the state.

Georgia Lottery reported record numbers for 2020, transferring $1,237,345,246 to the State Treasury’s Lottery for Education Account, according to a statement from the Georgia Lottery Corporation.

The total amount raised in the lottery’s 27-year history amounts to more than $22.3 billion.

“Our Fiscal Year 2020 results are a reflection of the fortitude and commitment of many,” Gretchen Corbin, Georgia Lottery president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “As with all companies, 2020 has been an historic year, challenging us to the max, which makes me even more honored to report this record year of returns for education. Our team has been laser focused on delivering the greatest amount possible to the state in a year where we first focused on outpacing 2019, the year of one of the largest jackpots in history, and then added COVID-19 challenges to our goal to surmount.”

Georgia Lottery encouraged online play via its website and mobile app as a way to promote safety during the pandemic.

Profits from the Georgia Lottery fund programs such as Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s pre-K program.

In Lowndes County, Georgia Lottery reports that 34,681 HOPE students have received $164,443,951 and 20,447 pre-K students have received $75,280,706 since 1994.