Texas Lottery sent $1.85 billion to schools and veterans in TDLR's first year
The Texas Lottery sent $1.85 billion to public schools and veterans in the fiscal year that ended August 31, its first full year run by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the agency said. That included $1.82 billion for the Foundation School Fund and a record $31.7 million for the Fund for Veterans' Assistance, both up from fiscal 2025.
Sales slipped for a third straight year, to $7.865 billion, less than 1% below fiscal 2025. Scratch tickets brought in $6.242 billion, down about 3% from $6.43 billion. Draw games grew 9.8% to $1.622 billion, driven by Powerball sales, up 56.1% to nearly $526 million, as six Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots topped $500 million. Texas's own draw games, from Pick 3 to Lotto Texas, brought in $777.2 million, down from $811.6 million a year earlier, according to LotteryUSA's report on fiscal 2025.
| Fiscal year | Total sales | Scratch tickets | To the state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $8.11 billion | $6.62 billion | $1.97 billion |
| 2022 | $8.30 billion | $6.73 billion | $1.97 billion |
| 2023 | $8.73 billion | $6.73 billion | $2.13 billion |
| 2024 | $8.39 billion | $6.64 billion | $1.98 billion |
| 2025 | $7.91 billion | $6.43 billion | $1.78 billion |
| 2026 | $7.87 billion | $6.24 billion | $1.85 billion |
Sales are now about 10% below their fiscal 2023 peak, and scratch tickets about 7% below. Two things kept money to the state rising this year anyway. Administrative costs fell to $261.8 million, 3.32% of sales, from about $289 million, and the lottery paid out a record 68.7% of sales as prizes, $5.4 billion, while still sending more to the state. Ninety-seven players claimed prizes of $1 million or more, and Texas had two Powerball jackpot winners in one year, as many as in all its years in the game since 2010: a Fredericksburg ticket that shared the $1.8 billion jackpot on September 6, 2025, and a Leander ticket that shared a $20 million jackpot on May 2.
The year also brought new limits. Senate Bill 3070 bans sales of more than 100 tickets in one transaction, limits ticket printers at retailers, and ended playslips made in the lottery's app, and online purchases and courier services are now prohibited. Senate Bill 1346 added safeguards against buying all or nearly all number combinations in a draw game. Texas's 76 scratch-offs on sale return an average of 70.2% of sales as prizes; the best-paying ones and the rest are on the Texas scratch-offs page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the Texas Lottery give to schools in 2026?
The Texas Lottery sent $1.82 billion to the Foundation School Fund in fiscal 2026, which ended August 31, plus a record $31.7 million to the Fund for Veterans' Assistance, for $1.85 billion in all, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
How much does the Texas Lottery sell in a year?
It sold $7.865 billion in fiscal 2026, less than 1% below fiscal 2025. Scratch tickets made up $6.242 billion, more than 79% of sales, and draw games $1.622 billion, the lottery said.
Can you buy Texas Lottery tickets online?
No. Texas law now prohibits online lottery purchases and lottery courier services, and it limits single transactions to 100 tickets. The changes came with Senate Bill 3070, which moved the lottery under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on September 1, 2025.
Jessie Jurado is a news writer who covers new scratch-off launches, state lottery guides, taxes on winnings, news, and much more. She joined ScratchCheck in 2026 and writes the site's state-by-state coverage.
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