LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Bucking national trends, the Kentucky Lottery Corporation (KLC) made a record $214.3 million for the commonwealth for FY2010, despite lottery sales declining 4.7 percent during the same time, the Lottery Post reports. Total sales for Kentucky??s lottery reached $772.5 million for FY2010.

This year??s amount soared past last year??s previous record number by 4.8 percent, or $9.9 million. The $214.3 million accounts for $200.7 million from profits for scholarship, grant and higher education programs, and $13.6 million in unclaimed prizes to the KEES scholarship reserve fund.

Instant ticket sales dropped 9.1 percent. "However, sales for our more profitable online games ?" such as Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick 3 and Pick 4 ?" rose $9.1 million or 3.1 percent to reach $301.3 million," said KLC President and CEO Arch Gleason. "The increase in sales for our online tickets helped offset the instant ticket sales loss, and meant we could meet our financial obligation to the commonwealth."

The addition of Mega Millions in January generated $9.9 million in sales, while Powerball posted a $2.4 million sales bump over last year to reach $99.3 million. Retailers selling lottery tickets received around $47.3 million in commissions for FY10.

"The commonwealth is coming off the highest full year of unemployment in 26 years," said Gleason. "While this has obviously affected the amount players have to spend on our games, we??ve been able to meet our commitment to young people all across the state attending college on lottery-funded grants and scholarships."