The Georgia Lottery Corp. marked its 25^th anniversary during a ceremony Wednesday at the Georgia State Capitol. Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin was joined by Gov. Nathan Deal to commemorate the occasion, which was a celebration of the Georgia Lottery, Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program.                                             

“The Georgia Lottery has not only lived up to the vision and promises of 25 years ago, it has exceeded them,” said Gov. Deal. “Behind every one of the millions of HOPE and Pre-K beneficiaries is a life made better through greater opportunity, a mind made stronger through sound education and a lifetime of dividends that result from our continued investment in Georgia’s children.”

In 25 years, the Georgia Lottery has contributed more than $19.5 billion to the state of Georgia for education.

“As we celebrate the Georgia Lottery, we also celebrate our supporters and partners,” Corbin said. “We honor Gov. Zell Miller for his vision to create an education lottery in Georgia. I’d also like to extend a special thanks to Gov. Deal for his steadfast support.”

Since the Georgia Lottery began in 1993, more than 1.8 million students have received Georgia Lottery-funded HOPE scholarships and grants.

“We are very proud that Georgia’s HOPE program remains one of the country’s largest and most generous scholarship programs. Supported by the Georgia Lottery Corp., HOPE has been a critical component of Georgia’s workforce development efforts by providing students with over $10 billion dollars in awards,” stated Caylee Noggle, interim president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission.

“As we celebrate our success over the past 25 years, we also look forward with confidence knowing that HOPE will be available for future generations thanks to the leadership of Gov. Deal, the support of the General Assembly, and a strong footing from the Georgia Lottery Corp,” Noggle added.

More than 1.6 million 4-year-olds have received a jumpstart on their education with high-quality, Georgia Lottery-funded Pre-K.

“The first step necessary for developing Georgia’s Pre-K Program was to create and maintain a dedicated funding stream for the program,” said Amy M. Jacobs, commissioner for Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. “The primary reason Georgia was able to successfully develop and grow this program was because the public and policymakers of Georgia were committed to it financially. And that commitment was, and still is, possible only because of the Georgia Lottery Corp.”

 “The Georgia Lottery’s 25 years of success is a milestone that all Georgians can celebrate,” Corbin said. “Georgia’s students, families, schools and communities have benefited and are stronger because of the opportunities provided by lottery-funded HOPE and Pre-K. We understand the far-reaching impact of these important educational programs and remain committed to our mission of responsibly maximizing dollars for HOPE and Pre-K.

“Our achievements are the result of a team effort,” Corbin said. “I’m grateful to the Georgia Lottery’s board of directors, employees, players, retailers, business partners and our education partners.”

Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corp. has returned more than $19.5 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs, including Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program. More than 1.8 million students have received HOPE, and more than 1.6 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.