The Maryland Lottery and the state’s six casinos combined to contribute $1.113 billion to the state in fiscal year 2020, which is close to last year’s record contributions, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Lottery sales led the way, topping $2 billion for the third consecutive year. Sales were track to set a new all-time record when the pandemic hit, officials say.
Lottery profits to the state totaled $588.7 million, down by $4.5 million from the all-time record established in FY2019.
“People don’t have another place to spend their discretionary entertainment dollars,” said Gordon Medenica, director of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Agency, according to WBAL-TV. “If you think about it, there are no movies, no concerts, no sporting events. Bars and restaurants are severely limited. So, all of that discretionary entertainment spending that occurred before has no place to go. So, happily, the lottery has, I think, been a beneficiary of that.”
For the sixth consecutive year, sales of instant tickets set an all-time record, totaling $852.7 million, a 5 percent increase from the $812.4 million figure in FY2019.
With the casinos closed for nearly the entire fourth quarter of FY2020, total gaming revenue was $1.279 billion, down $481 million from last year’s record return of $1.760 billion.
Maryland’s casinos were closed from March 16 to June 19 due to the pandemic, and are still operating at 50 percent capacity.
