Creating a Lottery
- Nov. 5, 2002:
- Tennessee voters approved a statewide referendum to permit a lottery.
- April/May 2003:
- The Senate and House passed legislation authorizing the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation to operate games and generate funds for specific education programs in the state.
- July 1, 2003:
- Governor Phil Bredesen appointed a 7-member Board of Directors to govern the Corporation.
- Sept. 22, 2003:
- The Board hired Rebecca Paul as the first President and CEO.
- Jan. 20, 2004:
- The Tennessee Lottery began selling tickets.
Where the Money Goes
Updated April 2024
The Tennessee Lottery has raised more than $7 billion for education programs since inception.
- Lottery-funded programs include a variety of scholarships, grants, after-school programs and an energy-efficient schools initiative.
- Since the fall of 2004, more than 2 million grants and scholarships to in-state post-secondary institutions have been awarded to Tennessee students.
- Out of every dollar spent on tickets, the largest portion is used to pay prizes. Other portions are used to fund the education programs described above, pay retailer commissions and for other non-direct expenses.
Sales/Games
- First-day ticket sales, which began three weeks earlier than expected, totaled $10.8 million.
- Total sales since inception are more than $29.7 billion.
- The Lottery offers a variety of instant-ticket and drawing-style games. New instant-ticket games are introduced each month.
- Lottery tickets are available at more than 5,000 retailer locations in Tennessee. These retailers have earned more than $1.9 billion in commissions since ticket sales began.
- Players have additional chances to win as a Tennessee Lottery VIP Rewards member. This popular program allows players to enter eligible tickets into drawings into the Play It Again! and VIP Rewards® Drawings for opportunities to win cash and prizes.
Winners
- Tennessee Lottery players have won more than $20.2 billion in prizes.
- A Munford player won the Tennessee Lottery’s largest prize to date. This winner split the world record-breaking Powerball jackpot of $1.58 billion with a player in California and a player in Florida, which meant $528.8 million for the Tennessean.
- Other notable multi-state game jackpot winners in Tennessee include:
- $420.9 million, Lafayette, November 2016 – Powerball
- $259.8 million, Knoxville, June 2014 – Powerball
- $198 million, Hendersonville, July 2019 – Powerball
- $144.1 million, Antioch, November 2015 – Powerball
- $61 million, Bellevue. January 2014 – Mega Millions
- $50 million, Knox County, March 2015 – Powerball
- $25.5 million, South Pittsburg, March 2005 – Powerball
- $20 million, Pegram, April 2022 – Mega Millions
More About the Tennessee Lottery
- The Tennessee Lottery is headquartered in Nashville, with additional District Offices in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis.
- The Lottery has been recognized for its successful efforts to promote diversity within its workforce and vendor procurement practices and has exceeded all diversity goals each year since inception. The Nashville chapter of the American Advertising Federation awarded the TEL with a “Mosaic Award,” which celebrates diversity in communications and corporate strategy.
- The Lottery’s Responsible Gaming (RG) program has achieved a prestigious Level 4 Certification from the World Lottery Association. The Lottery reminds players to “Have Fun. Play Responsibly.” through a variety of mechanisms. Additionally, the Lottery incorporates robust RG strategies throughout its operations.
- Tennessee Lottery Player Service Representatives are available M-F, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm CT. Just check which number applies to your calling area:
- (615) & (629) area, dial 615-254-4946
- (865) area dial 512-4946
- (901) area, dial 466-4946
- (423) area dial 939-7529
All other areas in Tennessee: 877-786-7529. Outside Tennessee dial 615-254-4946.