Virginia Lottery announces record profits, critic says low-income communities disproportionately hurt

“Last month, the Virginia Lottery announced record sales and profits for Fiscal Year 2023 — from July 1, 2022, to June 31, 2023. That means more money going toward K-12 education in the commonwealth. The numbers show in FY2023, lottery sales hit a record $4.6 billion, with profits coming in at $867 million. At the time of the announcement Kelly Gee — who has since been appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin to serve as Secretary of the Commonwealth — was Virginia Lottery’s Executive Director. ‘The unprecedented success we saw in Fiscal Year 2023 is positive news for all Virginians, regardless of whether they choose to play Lottery games,’ Gee said. However, not everyone sees these increases as a positive.”