Jackpots Soar as Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Celebrates National Lottery Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – For more information, contact Gabrielle Davis at 501-580-9738.
July 14, 2026
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This week, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) joins the eighth annual National Lottery Week, where lotteries across North America recognize and commemorate their contributions to local communities. With three draw game jackpots on the rise, ASL has even more reasons to celebrate.
The Mega Millions® jackpot reaches $637 million for tonight’s drawing. Tomorrow night, the Powerball® jackpot is $498 million, and the LOTTO jackpot is $1.949 million. Proceeds from draw game ticket sales, for both multi-state and in-state games, directly support the educational and workforce goals of Arkansas residents.
Unique among the gaming industry, lotteries nationwide support public beneficiaries and causes, such as education, social services and environmental programs. In Arkansas, proceeds from lottery ticket sales support in-state student scholarships, with over $1.6 billion raised for more than 873,000 scholarships since 2009.
“Everything we do is driven by our mission to create scholarship opportunities for Arkansas students," said ASL Executive Director Sharon Strong. "Whether we're promoting draw games, instant tickets, or launching a new product, our focus remains the same: generating revenue for scholarships and serving the people of Arkansas."
Lottery ticket sales in Arkansas support three scholarship programs: the Arkansas Academic Challenge, the Arkansas Workforce Challenge and ACCESS to Acceleration. The Arkansas Department of Higher Education awards these scholarships. In fiscal year 2026, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery raised $114.3 million for scholarships, the second-largest amount generated in a fiscal year since the lottery was founded.
In addition to students, the lottery supports more than 2,000 retailers statewide. As of June 2026, the lottery has awarded more than $487 million in retailer commissions. Retailers receive a 5% commission on all lottery ticket sales and a 1% commission for selling winning lottery tickets, with the latter capped at $50,000.
Since 2009, ASL has also awarded more than $5.8 billion in lottery prizes to players. In fiscal year 2026, two Arkansas lottery players won Powerball® jackpots of $1.817 billion and $250.8 million, respectively.
However, player support goes beyond big payouts. Since 2019, ASL has held a Responsible Gambling Certification from the North American State and Provincial Lotteries Association and the National Council on Problem Gambling. Through public messaging and resources on its website, the lottery encourages Arkansans to play responsibly. Lottery employees and licensed retailers also complete annual training to combat problem gambling and promote responsible selling practices.
Visit MyArkansasLottery.com for more information about the lottery.
About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) creates winning people, winning futures, and winning moments. Since 2009, the ASL has sold over $8.6 billion and returned more than $1.6 billion for scholarships to benefit Arkansas students. More than 873,000 college scholarships distributed by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education have been awarded to Arkansans. As of June 30, 2026, the lottery has awarded more than $5.8 billion in prizes to players, more than $487 million in retailer commissions, and provided more than $461 million in state and federal tax revenue.
Follow the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram. Visit MyArkansasLottery.com fo
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