During his 1990 gubernatorial campaign, Young Harris native Zell Miller promised to institute a state lottery whose proceeds would directly fund new educational programs. The General Assembly adopted his plan in 1992, Georgia voters approved it that fall, and the Lottery began with great acclaim on June 29, 1993. The enabling legislation directed Lottery proceeds to programs including college HOPE scholarships and grants, Head Start and pre-kindergarten programs, and the development of physical and technological infrastructure for K-12 and postsecondary institutions statewide. The Lottery's popularity and the success of the programs it funds influenced other states to pursue lottery-funded educational programs. By 2023, the Georgia Lottery Corporation had provided more than 2.1 million students with HOPE scholarships and served more than 2 million 4-year-olds through voluntary pre-kindergarten programs.