The N.C. Education Lottery saw its overall ticket sales jump 9.9 percent in fiscal year 2010 as it recorded its fourth consecutive year of record ticket sales and earnings for education in North Carolina.

The NCEL transferred more than $419 million to the state Education Lottery Fund in four quarterly transfers during the fiscal year, a news release said. The amount, the most ever in a single year since the lottery began in March 2006, brings the total amount of money raised for education to $1.556 billion.

The 9.9 percent increase in tickets sales drove total revenues during the fiscal year to $1.42 billion. The additional of a major new game, Mega Millions, which added two additional jackpot drawings each week, was one factor behind the increase in sales. Another factor was a four percent increase in retail locations where lottery tickets are sold. As of July 1, 6,267 retail locations across the state sell lottery tickets.

"We're pleased that the lottery continues to grow as our games become more popular with both players and the retailers who sell our tickets," said Tom Shaheen, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. "The growth enabled us to produce additional money to support education and we plan to work hard to achieve an even greater return for education this year."

Here are some key accomplishments of the N.C. Education Lottery in fiscal year 2010:

n Achieved record year in sales. $1,421,313,102, up 9.9 percent from year before.

n Transferred the largest contribution in history to State Education Lottery Fund - $419.5 million.

n Recruited largest set of retail locations. As of July 1, 6,267 retail locations exist in the state, up 4 percent from the year before.

n Awarded $835 million in prizes to lottery players in North Carolina.

n Paid $99.3 million in sales commissions to retailers.

n Collected $14.5 million in state tax revenues from prize winnings.

n Collected $1 million in debts owed to state and local governments.

n Launched Mega Millions game Jan. 31. Game offers players the chance to participate in two additional jackpot drawings each week, bringing the total number, with the Powerball game, to four.

n Awarded jackpots to two more North Carolinians in multi-state online games, bringing the total number of jackpot winners to four. Frank Griffin, of Asheville, won $141 million playing Powerball on Feb. 6. Mike Manheim, of Greensboro, won $12 million playing Mega Millions on May 28.

n Awarded for the 77th time $1 million or more to someone playing the lottery in North Carolina.

n Received for the second year in a row a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and an award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.

n Completed four out of four financial audits with a clean review and completed three out of three security audits with a clean review.

n Transferred $1 million to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services for gambling addiction, education and treatment programs and conducted a $233,000 TV and radio advertising campaign on responsible lottery playing.