The Big Game grows larger

by Commissioner Jim Kipp

On December 19, 2001, the New York Lottery announced that it will work with the seven states that currently comprise The Big Game - Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia - to develop a new multistate jackpot game that will build on the success of The Big Game.

The addition of New York will significantly increase the player base for the game, which should, in turn, allow jackpots to grow larger at a faster pace.

This new partnership with New York will be successful not only for the states involved with The Big Game, but for our Lottery retailers as well. Look for more detailed information in upcoming months about this change to The Big Game.

Free Instant
In February the Lottery is giving you an excellent opportunity to promote instant game tickets in your stores.

Special flyers will be inserted into select home-delivered newspapers across the state on February 3, 2002. Each flyer features a coupon for one free $2 instant game ticket with the purchase of any $5 instant game ticket.

The process for redeeming the coupons is very easy. When a customer comes into your store, makes a $5 instant game purchase and presents a valid coupon, all you need to do is give them the $2 instant game ticket of their choice. Simply scan the barcode on the coupon at the time of purchase, then enter the underlined five-digit number from the coupon through your terminal.

You do not need to turn the coupons in to the Lottery. Instead, handle the coupons as you would a validated winning instant game ticket.

After you receive the pay/cash authorization, the credit will be shown as a $2 instant validation on your reports. And, best of all, you will also receive a two-percent cashing commission on each coupon you take in.

The coupons expire on March 3, 2002, so you should stop taking them from customers after that date. Retailers will have until March 17, 2002, to scan the coupons and receive credit.

This special coupon program will help boost your instant ticket sales, which, in turn, will help increase your commissions.

Remember that on January 1, the Lottery introduced a new incentive-based instant ticket commission structure. If your instant ticket sales are at least two percent higher than they were in the same quarter last year, you will earn an additional one percent on your total instant ticket sales for that quarter.

I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to prominently feature the Lottery's instant games in your stores, and don't forget to ask for the sale.

Unclaimed Prize
In March, the following Michigan Lottery prize is set to expire: $150,000 in The Big Game drawing of March 16, 2001. The winning ticket (14-22-38-42-43 Gold Ball 10) was sold at the CVS Pharmacy at 27365 Cherry Hill, Inkster.

For more information about any unclaimed Michigan Lottery prize, you can call the Lottery's Public Relations office at 517.373.1237.

New Instants
The Lottery is excited to debut five new instant games in February.

On February 7, Lottery players will be winning big bucks when the $2 "Blackjack Doubler" instant ticket goes on sale offering a $21,000 top prize. Also on February 7, the Lottery will bring back the very popular $2 "Cashword," with a top prize of $35,000.

Your customers will be looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow on February 14 when the $2 "Rainbow Riches" goes on sale offering a $17,000 top prize. Fast cash is what Lottery players will be winning with the $1 "Fast 5's," which goes on sale February 21 offering a top prize of $1,000.

Finally, on February 28, the $2 "Jackpot Jungle" instant game will have players jumping up and down with a $30,000 top prize..

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