CHICAGO, March 25, 2022 – Harold Mays was confirmed as the Director of the Illinois Department of the Lottery by the State Senate on Tuesday, March 22.  

Mays, who served as the Acting Director of the Illinois Lottery beginning in Fiscal Year 2019, says he is honored. 

“I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to serve as the Director of the Illinois Department of the Lottery,” said Mays. “I look forward to continuing the Department’s efforts to deliver on its mission to raise money for education, capital projects and special causes in an ethical and socially responsible way.” 

During Mays’ tenure as Acting Director, the Illinois Lottery generated over $11.5 billion in sales which resulted in over $2.8 billion in proceeds to help support K-12 education, capital projects, and specialty causes across the State of Illinois.  

“There would be no Lottery without our players, retailers and the communities we serve across the State of Illinois,” added Mays. “We owe it to them to operate a Lottery they can be proud of, want to engage with and deliver the values envisioned. We have a strong team that is up to the challenge.“   

Prior to his role as Acting Director, Mays served as the Chief of Operations and Technology for the Department of the Lottery for five years. Before that, he was a program management office executive for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services.

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About the Illinois Lottery:
The Illinois Lottery has contributed over $22 billion (since 1985) to the state’s Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to the Capital Projects Fund and to special causes like Illinois Veterans services, the fight against breast cancer, MS and Alzheimer’s research, Special Olympics, police memorials and assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS. For more information visit illinoislottery.com.