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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021

GOVERNOR DESANTIS' FREEDOM FIRST BUDGET PAVES THE WAY
TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR FLORIDA'S STUDENTS
~ 2022-23 Budget Recommendations Support the Lottery's Commitment to Education ~

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Lottery (Lottery) commends Governor DeSantis' Freedom First budget for continuing to support the Lottery's mission of generating additional funds to enhance education in Florida. The Governor's proposed budget invests an additional $4.1 million into the Lottery. In FY 2020-21, the Lottery reached record sales of $9.0 billion resulting in more than $2.2 billion in contributions to the State's Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) - the first-time education contributions reached $2 billion in a single fiscal year since the Lottery's inception in 1988. The Lottery was able to achieve this incredible milestone while also remaining one of the most efficient Lottery's in the nation, with just one percent of revenues spent on operating costs.

Florida Lottery Secretary John F. Davis said, "I am incredibly honored to serve as part of Governor DeSantis' administration and to carry out his mission of making Florida first in the nation for education. The Governor's Freedom First budget reflects his continued commitment to investing in students and educators, and the Lottery fully supports the Governor's noble vision."

The Freedom First budget includes

• Prize Payment System - Provides for the funding of the Lottery's current procurement for a new prize payment system. A new prize payment system would replace a system that is aging and allow the Lottery to effectively and efficiently carry out one of its most important business functions - paying prizes to players.
• Critical Market Pay Additive - Provides $157,091 for salaries and benefits for specific Lottery district offices, including Tampa, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, and Miami, to better attract and retain employees in areas where hiring and retention have been difficult.

Widely recognized as a leader among Lotteries nationwide, the Florida Lottery will continue to apply fiscally conservative principles in its daily operations and operate as a self-funded enterprise, generating revenues for education by increasing sales and minimizing administrative expenses.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $40 billion to enhance education and sending more than 880,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue back into Florida's economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Lottery retailers and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $79.1 billion in prizes and made more than 3,100 people millionaires. For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.

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