RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Massive ticket sales for the North Carolina Education Lottery during the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in a best-ever $936 million in annual game profits for education.

The lottery announced Monday that earnings for education during the year ending June 30 grew by 28% compared to the year before. Ticket sales also soared by 26% to $3.8 billion.

A lottery leader says consumers played games more because they had few other options for entertainment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He says multistate lotteries, scratch-off tickets and a new game called Fast Play also helped.

The first North Carolina lottery tickets were sold in 2006.