New York Powerball sales for the $2.04 billion jackpot may seem long ago and far away, with a winner declared on Election Day nearly 2,500 miles from Clymer, NY. However, the sales for that lottery jackpot’s run generated $86 million for schools and $15 million for some retailers in the state.

So says the New York State Gaming Commission in a press release published . From Aug. 6 to Nov. 7, the Powerball jackpot grew, and Americans in 48 states bought a lot of the $2 tickets. New Yorkers alone spent $244.5 million on them, the commission says.

That’s where the more than $100 million for schools and retailers comes from, the announcement says.

Commission Chairman Brian O’Dwyer opines: The numbers speak for themselves: The New York Lottery provides fun and entertainment for millions of responsible New Yorkers while also repeatedly smashing revenue records for public schools and supporting small businesses across the state.

Yes, that’s the same O’Dwyer who spoke on Oct. 3 about the “tabula rasa” status of picking the three operators who can buy full retail casino licenses for downstate facilities. The three-member New York Gaming Facility Location Board that O’Dwyer helped appoint that day will begin accepting license applications on Jan. 6.

Meanwhile, the public is seeing the possible applicants ahead of time – including “Caesars Palace Times Square” and 9 West 57th St., giving Midtown Manhattan a new, giant Ferris wheel.