Ten years ago Wednesday, North Carolinians got their first chance to play the lottery and over the decade the growing popularity of its games has raised more than $4.2 billion for the good cause it serves.

The lottery’s first tickets were sold on March 30, 2006. This year, lottery ticket sales should exceed $2 billion for the first time and earnings for education exceed half a billion for the third year in row.

Alice Garland, executive director of the lottery, said the lottery would not be as successful as it is without broad support of North Carolinians who enjoy playing lottery games and winning prizes.

“It’s been challenging, it’s been fun, and it’s been rewarding,” said Alice Garland, the fifth employee hired to help start the lottery. “What’s rewarding is we believe in the cause we work for. You feel like you are doing something every day that is helping the schools and education in North Carolina.”

To get a sense of the lottery’s success, consider what happens every day across the state. Last year, the lottery averaged $5.4 million a day in lottery ticket sales, $3.4 million in prizes, and $1.4 million raised for education. The lottery has increased sales and earnings every year of its operations, received “a clean opinion” from independent auditors in each year’s audit of its finances, and become a leader in the U.S. lottery industry on responsible gaming.

To mark the 10th anniversary, here are ten things to know about the lottery.

1. At $2 billion in annual revenues, the lottery has grown into one of the state's most successful sales organizations.
2. Total ticket sales crossed the $15 billion mark on Feb. 25, 2016.
3. Earnings for the state exceeded $4.2 billion as of Dec. 31, 2015.
4. Lottery retailers have earned more than $1 billion in commissions.
5. More than 6,850 retail locations across North Carolina sell lottery tickets, up from 5,000 the day the lottery started.
6. Six North Carolinians have won Powerball or Mega Millions jackpots, ranging from $12 million to $188 million.
7. The lottery has awarded a prize of $1 million or more 330 times.
8. About 95 cents of every dollar spent on a lottery ticket cycles back into the state’s economy as either a prize, earnings for education, or a sales commission to a retailer.
9. The most popular games are instant games with a total of 477 different scratch-off tickets so far.
10. The only source of funds for state’s problem gambling program - $1 million a year – comes from the lottery.