South Carolina Education Lottery

What South Carolina Education Lottery does

South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) is a state government agency established in 2002 that operates the exclusive lottery in South Carolina, with proceeds directed to the state's Education Lottery account to fund educational programs and scholarships. The lottery's product portfolio spans multi-state jackpot games (Powerball, Mega Millions), state-specific draw games (Palmetto Cash 5, Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL, Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL, CASH POP), and Scratch-Off instant games priced from $1 to $20.

The underlying technology stack combines retail point-of-sale terminals, the Players' Club mobile application (iOS and Android), and a web-based promotion and rewards platform. Scientific Games (now Light & Wonder) has been the core technology partner since inception and, in May 2025, deployed its SCiQ retail ecosystem across SCEL retailers to provide real-time Scratch-Off inventory management, digital displays, and operational analytics. The Players' Club app enables ticket scanning, SCEL COIN rewards accrual, and entry into recurring second-chance promotions (THE PRICE IS RIGHT, Star Power, Millionaire Bonus, My Money Maker).

SCEL sells exclusively through authorized retail — over 4,800 locations including Circle K, Food Lion, Publix, Murphy USA, Harris Teeter, Spinx, and QuikTrip, alongside independent convenience stores and pharmacies. Pricing is per-play and tiered: Powerball $2, Mega Millions $5, Palmetto Cash 5 $2, Pick 3/Pick 4 $0.50–$1, CASH POP $1–$10, and Scratch-Offs $1–$20. Scratch-Offs generated over $1.6 billion in retail sales in fiscal year 2024, ranking SCEL as the world's No. 3 performing instant game lottery. The business model is transaction-fee in nature — net lottery revenue (after prize payouts and retailer commissions) is transferred to the South Carolina Education Lottery account for educational funding, with the agency overseen by a state Board of Commissioners.

Name

South Carolina Education Lottery

Legal name

South Carolina Education Lottery

Website

https://sceducationlottery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

South Carolina Education Lottery operates the state's exclusive lottery, selling Scratch-Offs, Powerball, Mega Millions, and state draw games through 4,800+ retailers and directing proceeds to South Carolina education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Lottery Gaming

NAICS

Gambling Industries (7132), Other Gambling Industries (713290)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Lottery Operators (Government & Private Licensed) (MPAEAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Draw-Based Lottery Management (Number Games, Keno as Lottery) (MPAEAFAE), Lottery Second-Chance, Loyalty & Rewards Platforms (MPAEAFAM), Lottery Ticket & Instant Games (Scratch-Off) Publishing/Printing (MPAEAFAC)

Keywords

• State lottery games
• Instant scratch tickets
• Draw games jackpot
• Lottery retail network
• Second-chance promotions

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Lottery Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of lottery tickets including Scratch-Off instant games and draw games (Powerball, Mega Millions, Palmetto Cash 5, Pick 3, Pick 4, CASH POP). Scratch-Off games generated over $1.6 billion in retail sales in fiscal year 2024.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

South Carolina Education Lottery sells lottery game tickets to adult consumers through more than 4,800 authorized retail locations across South Carolina. Its portfolio includes multi-state draw games (Powerball, Mega Millions), state-specific draw games (Palmetto Cash 5, Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL, Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL, CASH POP), and Scratch-Off instant-win games priced from $1 to $20. The Players' Club mobile app and website enable ticket scanning, results checking, second-chance promotion entry, and SCEL COIN rewards, with net proceeds directed to South Carolina's Education Lottery account for educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Players' Club: Online club for lottery players offering second-chance promotions, rewards program with SCEL COIN, and entry to drawings for cash and prizes.
• Better U

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.6 billion in Scratch-Off retail sales (FY2024), ranking SCEL as world's No. 3 performing instant game lottery

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Scientific Games (a Light & Wonder company)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2025Scientific Games has partnered with SCEL since 2002, launching multiple firsts for the lottery. The company provides instant games and operates a facility near Columbia, South Carolina. In May 2025, Scientific Games launched its SCiQ retail ecosystem technology at SCEL retailers, marking the lottery's first retail modernization initiative. The system provides real-time inventory management, digital displays, and operational efficiencies for Scratch-Off games.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Georgia Lottery Corporation: Georgia Lottery is a state-run lottery operator that funds the HOPE Scholarship program. Like SCEL, it is a government-authorized monopoly with a similar product mix of draw games and scratch-offs, comparable retail distribution, and a HOPE/education funding mandate that closely parallels SCEL's mission.
• North Carolina Education Lottery: North Carolina Education Lottery is a state-run lottery with an explicit education funding mandate, making it the closest peer to SCEL in terms of value proposition and regulatory structure. It offers a similar mix of draw games and scratch-offs and competes for players in a neighboring state to SCEL.
• Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation: Tennessee Education Lottery is a state-run lottery that funds education programs, mirroring SCEL's structure and mission. It offers Powerball, Mega Millions, instant games, and similar draw games, and is a direct comparable on regulatory moat and product portfolio.
• Florida Lottery: Florida Lottery is one of the largest US state lotteries, operating scratch-offs and draw games through an extensive retail network. While larger in scale, it shares SCEL's operational structure as a state government monopoly with a similar product mix and retail distribution model.
• Virginia Lottery: Virginia Lottery is a state-operated lottery offering scratch-offs and draw games with proceeds directed to K-12 public education. It shares SCEL's education-funding mandate, monopoly structure, and product portfolio, making it a strong comparable on revenue model and operational scale.
• Pennsylvania Lottery: Pennsylvania Lottery is one of the oldest US state lotteries and operates scratch-offs, draw games, and a broad retail network. It has pioneered iLottery/digital sales channels that SCEL may adopt over time, making it a relevant peer on innovation and product extension.
• Texas Lottery Commission: Texas Lottery Commission operates one of the largest US state lotteries by revenue. It shares SCEL's structure as a state government entity with a broad portfolio of scratch-offs and draw games, providing a useful scale comparable.
• Ohio Lottery: Ohio Lottery is a state-run lottery that funds education in Ohio. It offers a similar product mix including scratch-offs and draw games, and operates an extensive retail network, making it a direct comparable on regulatory structure and product portfolio.
• New York State Gaming Commission (NY Lottery): New York State Lottery is the largest US state lottery by revenue. While significantly larger than SCEL, it shares the same structural model — state-run monopoly with proceeds directed to education — making it a useful scale and product-portfolio benchmark.

Others

• Scientific Games (Light & Wonder): Scientific Games is SCEL's primary technology and instant game partner since 2002 and provider of the SCiQ retail ecosystem. As the lottery industry's largest vendor, it is an adjacent ecosystem participant whose roadmap directly influences SCEL's product capabilities and operational trajectory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sclottery
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCj17BuqNKuShWzjV6EGlSRA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthCarolinaEducationLottery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-carolina-education-lottery
• Instagraminstagram.com/sclottery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Carolina Education Lottery