NH Lottery Sales Break All-time Record

The NH Lottery broke its all-time sales record this year, with sales exceeding $300 million for the first time in its history. Compared to last year’s sales total of $280 million, which was the previous record high, sales this year rose by more than $20 million or 7 percent, allowing the NH Lottery to provide the state with more than $75 million in education funding this year.

The lottery introduced new scratch tickets this year, which helped to spur increased sales. Scratch ticket sales, which make up about 70 percent of total NH Lottery sales, jumped by $8 million or 4 percent from last year to this year. Annual scratch ticket sales have risen from $160 million in 2011 to $216 million this year—a 35-percent increase.

In January 2016, the Powerball jackpot reached an all-time high of $1.5 billion, which drove a considerable increase in Powerball sales in NH. For the year, Powerball sales increased by 47 percent or $13.6 million from last year to this year. At its peak, the Powerball surge generated $13 million in NH Lottery sales over a two-week period. Typically, weekly Powerball sales total about $500,000. For the year, NH Powerball sales totaled $42.3 million.

“The New Hampshire Lottery is proud to have achieved record-breaking sales this year, surpassing the $300 million milestone, while also delivering critical funding in support of education to the state,” says Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the NH Lottery Commission. 

According to unaudited FY 2016 sales figures, the top-10 performing NH Lottery retailers by gross sales were:

1. Bunny’s Superette (Manchester): $2.5 million
2. Hannaford Supermarket (Manchester, John Devine Drive): $1.4 million
3. Circle K (West Lebanon): $1.2 million
4. Hannaford Supermarket (Manchester, Hanover Street): $1.1 million
5. Reeds Ferry Market (Merrimack): $1.0 million
6. Hannaford Supermarket (Rochester, North Main Street): $1.0 million
7. Market Basket (Nashua, Amherst Street): $992,951
8. Bright Spot (Nashua): $934,269
9. Hannaford Supermarket (Bedford, Jenkins Road): $919,534
10. Hannaford Supermarket (Nashua, Coliseum Avenue): $899,067.