Tennessee Education Lottery CEO Rebecca Paul will retire from her position at the end of 2026, ending her tenure almost 23 years after she helped launch the state’s program.
Paul took the position as head of the state lottery before its launch, after holding a similar role in Georgia and Florida. She is one of the highest-paid state employees, earning $650,000 a year, a salary that has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers since she was first hired.
The lottery was Tennessee’s first legalized form of gambling and was created through a constitutional amendment that specifically designated the revenue from the sale of scratch-offs and lottery tickets to fund college scholarships.
For much of its history, lottery revenue increased, allowing higher education officials to keep expanding the program. But in 2019, lawmakers legalized sports gambling. Initially, sports gambling money went to the lottery education fund, but in 2025 lawmakers diverted that revenue towards schools as part of the deal to pass private school vouchers…