In 21 years… Lotto company paid out over $15B to winners

Aug 24, 2017 News

12 years and counting: Guyana Lottery Company.

The Guyana Lottery Company Limited on Tuesday celebrated its 21st anniversary, announcing that it has paid more than US$75M in winnings.
The company is owned by Canadian Bank Note, which supplies printed products and related issuing and control systems in four business areas. These include for lottery systems, identification systems, payment systems and shareholder services.
The company is the only one in Guyana, after striking a deal with the Government of Guyana in the mid-90s.
On Tuesday, the lotto company was inviting the public to celebrate with a slice of cake and drink at its offices in the city and Berbice.
Between August 1996 and July 2017, more than $7.4B (US$37M) was paid out in the Lotto Supa6, the game which has the biggest prizes, starting at $4M.
Some $2.9B would have been paid out in winnings from the Daily Millions games with the Scratch It cards, with a significant number of persons walking away with cash…some $3.8B of it. The rest of the games managed to see over $1.3B being paid to winners during the two-decades presence of the company.
Under arrangements, the Government of Guyana receives up to a reported 24 percent on every ticket sold.
Over time, the company has established over 60 agents across the country to sell its tickets.
A lottery fund had been set up back in the 90s to finance social projects but its placement in the control of the former Office of the President had been criticized with the current administration announcing plans to place the lotto proceeds in the Consolidated Fund.
With two drawings weekly for the Lotto Supa6, last night’s jackpot was standing at $28M (approximately US$140,000).
However, that would pale in comparison to the Powerball jackpot fever now gripping the US. The jackpot for multi-state game was a massive US$700M.