Rhode Island Lottery reports $247.4 million general‑fund transfer; Powerball sales slump as Mega Millions price rises

The Joint Committee on State Lottery on March 24 heard a financial update showing a $247,400,000 transfer to the state general fund through February and mixed performance across lottery products and gaming platforms.

"We have good news," James, director of the Rhode Island Lottery, told the committee, presenting the month‑to‑date financials and product sales. The director said the general‑fund transfer was about $5.5 million (2.3%) above the November Revenue Estimating Committee projection and roughly $1.8 million (0.7%) higher than the same period a year earlier.

The report showed divergent results by product. Powerball sales through February were $12 million, a 52.5% decline from the prior year; the director attributed much of that drop to unusually large jackpots during the prior period, saying those prior rollovers were "the driver of the issue." Mega Millions sales were $11.5 million, down about 10.1% year over year. The lottery told the committee that Mega Millions will introduce a $5 ticket (with a $1 add‑on called the megaplexer) and that the new tickets go on sale April 5, following an April 4 drawing. The director said the change typically increases revenue because larger starting jackpots will be offered on the $5 ticket.

Other product lines performed better. Instant and e‑instant ticket sales totaled $91.4 million, up 4.5% from the prior year. Daily numbers game sales decreased about 6.8% to $14.1 million, while bingo ticket sales rose to $2 million — a reported increase of 366.6% year over year. The director emphasized that the bingo percentage reflects a comparatively small dollar base.

The committee also received an update on iGaming and retail casino performance. Net iGaming revenue through February was $25.4 million; the lottery reported 31,522 registered iGaming customers and said 73% ($18.6 million) of iGaming revenue came from virtual‑VLTs and $6.8 million from iTables. The director said the iGaming platform averaged about $3.9 million wagered per day in February and that registrations averaged roughly 75 new customers per day that month.

Retail casino figures showed mixed results: combined net terminal income (VLTs) from Bally's Twin River Lincoln and Bally's Tiverton was down about 2.6% at Lincoln and up 1.3% at Tiverton for a combined NTI decline of roughly $5.9 million (about 1.7%). Net table‑game revenue was down about $1.8 million (2%). The director noted February comparisons are affected by calendar differences (29 business days in the prior February vs. 28 in the current period).

Greg, a property representative, gave a facilities update for the Lincoln and Tiverton locations, reporting behind‑the‑scenes upgrades (new carpeting, a generator and UPS) and saying the Maverick poker room at Lincoln was expected to open on the second floor in April with a soft launch and a larger May promotional rollout. "The Maverick poker room should be opening on the Second Floor sometime in the month of April," Greg told the committee, while noting supply‑chain dependencies could affect the timetable.

Committee members asked about hospitality and local economic impacts. Representative Edwards asked whether a hotel at Tiverton would open; Greg said there was no further update and that management continued to analyze options. Members discussed the role of nearby colleges and culinary programs (including Johnson & Wales University and CCRI) as potential local partnerships tied to hospitality operations.

Marketing and technology updates included a March Madness retail promotion (a "keynote fast break" running 4–7 p.m. at retail stores) and the rollout of a new mobile app two weeks earlier. The lottery said the app lets players enter second‑chance drawings by scanning losing tickets, add funds to online accounts at retail locations (with the retailer receiving a 5% payment), fill digital play slips and access expanded responsible‑gaming tools.

The lottery also said it is conducting a sports‑betting study to examine the economic effect of multiple sportsbooks and to determine contract approaches that might increase state revenue. The director and committee members said that study will inform upcoming contract and legislative work.

On procedural matters, the committee held annual internal elections by acclamation for leadership positions and set the next meeting for April 21. The committee adjourned after a motion that passed by voice vote.

By the close of the meeting, members said the overall trend into March looked positive for the lottery's fiscal year, driven in part by iGaming and certain instant and promotional activity, while acknowledging volatility in jackpot games and ongoing operational changes at the retail properties.