The West Virginia Lottery has taken longer this year to reach $1 billion in revenues than it has in more than a decade.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the mark was reached in mid-May. Acting Lottery director John Myers said the month was finished with year-to-date gross revenues of $1.049 billion, down nearly $21 million from the same point in 2015, with one month left in the budget year.
It’s the longest it’s taken to get to $1 billion since 2003. The earliest the Lottery has hit $1 billion was in February 2007. That year, the Lottery set a revenue record of $1.56 billion.
The numbers of competing casinos in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland have multiplied since that time, and the West Virginia Lottery has taken longer to reach $1 billion in revenue.