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Louisiana Lottery revenue has dropped to a three-year low. The Louisiana Lottery Corporation generated more than $653.3 million in 2023, its best year ever, but revenues fell to $642.8 million in 2024 and $585.2 million in 2025.
The decline is a concern for state budgets, as about $200 million annually is legally dedicated to the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP), which supports public schools. In 2023, $212 million of lottery revenue funded K-12 education, saving general fund dollars that would otherwise be needed.
Louisiana Lottery eyes iLottery to boost revenue
Record-high sales in 2023 were driven by massive jackpots, and a dip was expected. Sales are now picking up, according to Rose Hudson, president and CEO of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation. “Those years created an unusually high benchmark, and as expected, performance has normalized as jackpot cycles and player behavior return to more typical patterns,” she said.
Lottery officials are considering online lottery sales to boost revenue. Previous attempts failed due to opposition from groups, including brick-and-mortar retailers. Hudson said the corporation is “always looking at the broader marketplace and having thoughtful, responsible conversations about how the industry is evolving, including the potential for ‘iLottery legislation’ and ‘partnership models’ with stores that sell tickets.” Any discussion this session would prioritize “responsibility, public trust, and long-term support for the state.”
Lottery revenue trends mirror other states
The recent dip in Louisiana Lottery revenue doesn’t signal a crisis. Year-over-year revenues fell 10.5% from 2016 to 2017 and rose 22.1% from 2020 to 2021. Legislative Fiscal Officer Alan Boxberger says the past two years’ declines of 1.6% and 9% are “safely in the realm of normal variation.”
Former legislative economist Greg Albrecht says lottery performance reflects both strategy and player behavior. While the required state remittance dropped from 30% to 25%, the lottery still sends more than 30% monthly. Sales spike during large multistate jackpots, even for non-jackpot tickets.
Albrecht notes similar trends in casinos: fewer visitors post-pandemic, but higher spending per visitor, creating a higher baseline he calls the “new normal.” Other states, including California, show comparable patterns—revenues rose during the pandemic, dipped afterward, but remain above pre-pandemic levels, with jackpot-driven spikes.
Lawmakers study online lottery ticket sales proposal
A House Criminal Justice subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Vanessa Caston LaFleur, is studying online ticket sales. She plans to submit a final report in about a week and introduce legislation this session.
Lawmakers supported a bill LaFleur submitted last year, but she said brick-and-mortar retailers must also back the initiative. Jessica Elliott, director of the Louisiana Retailers Association, did not respond to requests for comment.
Opponents include in-person gaming advocates and anti-gambling groups. “This is just one more step in turning your phone or your computer into a full-blown casino,” said Alton Ashy, a video poker lobbyist.
How other states handle online lottery sales
Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Virginia have adopted the iLottery model. A 2022 report found online sales do not necessarily cannibalize retail sales or disrupt other gaming forms. Another study noted online sales attract new customers, including younger players uninterested in retail tickets.
Despite this, lotteries are working to ease retailers’ concerns with free advertising, higher commissions, shared databases, and enabling online buyers to purchase tickets through local stores.
