Sponsored Content

Travel back in time with the SC Lottery

Since its start in 2002, the Lottery has hit many milestones and created hundreds of millionaires — all in an effort to support local education in South Carolina.

Sponsored by
Three people playing the very first Lottery scratch-offs.

The Lottery’s first Scratch-Offs were sold on Jan. 7, 2002.

Photo the SC Education Lottery

Did you know? The South Carolina Education Lottery has been around for 23 years — aka, they’ve been old enough to buy a lottery ticket for five years now. After it was established in June 2001, the first four lottery tickets were bought and scratched on Jan. 7, 2002 at 6 a.m.

Since its start, South Carolina students have always won. How? All Lottery game proceeds are used to support local education. Think: Scholarships and grants, K-12 programs, and county libraries.

Winning numbers

Let’s throw it back to a few Lottery milestones and millionaires:

  • $259.9 million. How much Columbia native Solomon Jackson, Jr. won in a Powerball jackpot on Aug. 19, 2009.
  • 100. The number of millionaires the Lottery created between Jan. 2002 and Sept. 2013.
  • $5 billion. How much the Lottery transferred to support education by June 2018.
  • 132. How many days South Carolina’s first Mega Millions jackpot winner waited before coming forward to claim a $1.5 billion jackpot.

Play to win for local education

More from COLAtoday
Plan your day at the 44th annual St. Pat’s in Five Points with this quick guide to music, the parade, races, and more.
Columbia arts leader Larry Hembree will receive One Columbia’s 2026 Stephen G. Morrison Visionary Award, honoring decades of cultural leadership.
Nearly 200 free wellness classes — from yoga to Zumba — launch at Finlay Park starting Monday, March 16.
We asked new COLAtoday subscribers their favorite restaurant in the Columbia area. These 10 spots were mentioned the most.
It’s free to attend as the sports network spotlights Greenville and the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament.
South Carolina opens the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament on Friday, March 6, in Greenville, with fan deals, downtown events, and the Gamecock Club headquarters.
Presales are open and spring temps are rising — here’s where to stock up on natives, heirlooms, and blooms before they sell out.
Camp Cole collaboration brings inclusive fashion, local artists, and a sold-out runway show to Eastover.
Cottontown’s front porches transform into an open-air gallery with art, live music, and food trucks on Saturday, March 7.
The free May 15–16 festival features Martin Bejerano, Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso, Endea Owens, and more at Finlay Park.