The Arizona Lottery is reporting a record $1.43 billion in gross sales, a 31% increase from last fiscal year to this one.

Gregory Edgar, the lottery’s executive director, says the increase from July 2020 to June 2021 in sales will benefit multiple state-run organizations.

“1.43 billion is just so substantial, and when you stop and look at it, that generally means a huge boon for the state in terms of money that comes back to fund important programs,” said Edgar.

Edgar says the COVID-19 pandemic may have shifted sales in a positive direction, as some people had more spending money while they were staying at home last summer.