Idaho Just Hit a $90 Million Lottery Record. Here Is Where the Money Goes
Gov. Brad Little accepted the largest annual dividend in the agency's 37 years, sending $56.25 million toward education and $33.75 million toward public facilities.
Idaho's state lottery delivered the largest annual dividend in its 37-year history this week, putting $90 million on the books for public schools and state-owned facilities. Gov. Brad Little accepted the check from the Idaho State Lottery Commission at the Capitol on Wednesday, July 15, after a year that also set records for ticket sales, player prizes and retailer commissions.
Unlike a jackpot headline, this money lands on the public balance sheet. For Idaho families and taxpayers, the practical story is how the record total is divided and what state agencies do with it next.
Idaho's record check has two destinations
The larger share, $56.25 million, went to the Idaho Department of Education. Department Chief Financial Officer Gideon Tolman received that portion during the Capitol presentation. The amount represents 62.5 percent of the dividend, the share historically assigned to public schools.
The other $33.75 million went to the Permanent Building Fund, which supports the purchase, construction and maintenance of facilities owned by the state. Clint Shiflet, chairman of the fund's advisory council, accepted that allocation. Colleges and universities are among the state-operated facilities that can benefit from the building fund.
The lottery says it has provided $836.5 million for Idaho public education since operations began in 1989. Across schools and public buildings, cumulative dividends now total $1.438 billion. That history turns this year's ceremony into more than a one-time windfall. It is the latest installment in a funding stream Idaho has kept tied to schools and public property.
A record sales year built the dividend
Lottery sales reached $451 million during fiscal year 2026, up 12.5 percent from the previous year. Two Powerball jackpots above $1 billion helped lift draw-game activity, while Scratch Games sales rose 5 percent.
The agency also reported that players collected a record $304.2 million in prizes. Idaho retailers earned a record $26.3 million in commissions for selling tickets. Those figures put the $90 million dividend in context: the state return rose alongside a much larger year of purchases, payouts and local retail activity.
Little praised the agency's focus on integrity and said cooperation among state offices is producing resources and facilities for Idaho residents. The result gives his administration a concrete statewide achievement involving schools, public assets and disciplined agency work, rather than a program that exists only on paper.
Smaller awards reached hundreds of school projects
Separate from the main dividend, the lottery reported $417,500 in support for 592 school programs and projects through its VIP Club. That work included 26 elementary school libraries and 53 classroom projects.
The examples reached well beyond Boise. Lakes Middle School in Coeur d'Alene received support for a woodworking shop, while the new Two Rivers School in Salmon received sensory-room supplies. These smaller awards show how statewide lottery activity can reach practical projects that students, parents and teachers encounter directly.
The public test starts after the ceremony
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield thanked the commission for its continued investment in schools and students. Lottery Commission Chairman Craig Corbett also emphasized that the next responsibility belongs to the Department of Education, the Division of Public Works and the Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council. Those offices now have to convert the record dividend into useful buildings and school support.
That division of responsibility gives Idahoans a plain accountability measure. The headline number is fixed at $90 million. The lasting value will be found in maintained classrooms, sound public facilities and projects that serve families for years. A record check is good news. Durable results are the part taxpayers will live with.