[4] On February 28, 2013, the Florida Lottery announced it would begin selling Mega Millions tickets on May 15, 2013.

The Scholarship currently costs the Lottery's coffers more than $436.1 million, with about 170,000 students taking advantage of the program.

An astonishing 98 people won the August 28, 2012, Fantasy 5 drawing (the combination was 1, 3, 5, 7, 9), reminiscent of a scene in the movie, Bruce Almighty.

[11][12] Cash Pop was introduced to the lottery beginning January 3, 2022, and is drawn five times every day (8:45 a.m.

Additionally, Lotto Xtra tickets win a free play for matching 2 of 6 numbers.

(The game also is available in Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.)

Until July 1, 2019, live drawings were held on Monday and Thursday evenings at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Livestream.

Mega Millions is drawn Tuesday and Friday nights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time at the WSB-TV main studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

Since October 7, 2015, players choose 5 of 69 "white balls", and a red-colored "Powerball" out of 26 numbers from a separate pool.

[16] As a result of Florida joining Powerball, the regular drawing venue was moved from Iowa to Universal Orlando Resort, and then to the Lottery's Tallahassee headquarters.

Monopoly Millionaires' Club (MMC) began sales on October 19, 2014, with 23 lotteries participating in the launch.

[18] Like previous online games players may mark their selections on a Lucky Lines play slip or verbally give their instructions to the Lottery Terminal operator.

[19] Unlike other Lottery online games players may not have a partial quick pick ticket.

[20] As each ticket is produced the Lottery's computer generates a 7x7 grid with the numbers 1 through 49 arranged in each cell.

Anyone who matched all four white numbers in any order plus the Lucky Ball won or shared the jackpot.

Unlike the original version of Lucky Money, which was all-cash, jackpot winners desiring the lump sum had to claim their prize within 60 days of the drawing.

From July 1, 2014, Lucky Money also had the add on feature of EZmatch for a dollar extra per play.

Lucky Money had its final drawing on January 29, 2019, and was replaced with Jackpot Triple Play.

For both Lucky Money and Florida Lotto, the cash option, if desired, must be exercised within 60 days of the applicable drawing.

Florida does not collect income tax; however, like all U.S. lottery prizes, they are taxable by the federal government.

Florida resident Richard Lustig won seven lotto prizes between 1993 and 2010, totaling over $1 million before taxes.

[1] Since the program's inception in 1997, the Florida Lottery has contributed more than $3.9 billion to send over 600,000 students to college.

Powerball, Lotto, Lucky Money, and Mega Millions all use rollovers to increase their jackpots when no one wins a drawing.

Another option is called Quick-Pick, which allows the lottery terminal to select numbers for the chosen game.

[2][37][needs update] Florida voters approved the lottery in 1986 to fund education enhancement.

In the state budget, they began to use lottery money to pay for education operating costs and salaries while shifting those tax dollars to pet projects and non-educational spending.

Frank Brogan was elected Florida Commissioner of Education with Lottery funding being a key issue.

Brogan's plan created the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, funded voluntary Pre-K programs for disadvantaged children, and provided enhancements for public schools, including educational technology and new classrooms.

Brogan commented, "Floridians have come to see lottery funding of education as a giant shell game.

For that year, Lottery money comprised 7.5% ($829 million) of the state's $11 billion education budget.