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Big Game jackpot fever boosts retailers' ticket salesby Acting Commissioner Jim Kipp
Michigan Lottery players got a taste of what the new
Mega Millions game, which replaced the Big Game on May 15, will bring.
For the entire jackpot run, when it started at $5 million on February
8 to when it reached $331 million on April 16, Michigan Lottery players
wagered more than $94 million on Big Game tickets. Jackpot-winning tickets were sold in three different
states for the April 16 drawing. Jackpot winners hailed from Georgia,
Illinois and New Jersey, but the Michigan Lottery had its share of happy
Big Game winners as well. Among the seven Big Game states, there were 77 ticket-holders
who matched the first five numbers drawn to win second-tier prizes of
$150,000. Of those 77 winning tickets, 12 were sold by Michigan Lottery
retailers. Overall, Michigan Lottery players collected more than
$4 million in cash prizes in the April 16 Big Game drawing. The following Michigan Lottery retailers sold $150,000
winning tickets: The enthusiasm for the growing jackpot shown by Michigan
Lottery retailers, coupled with players’ excitement about the nine
different ways to win with The Big Game, have made The Big Game a huge
success here in Michigan. The Big Game’s popularity has steadily grown since
its September 1996 introduction—so much, in fact, that it became
Mega Millions on May 15, with the expectation of jackpots as high as
$500 million and the addition of two new states—New York and Ohio.
In fiscal 2001, Michigan Lottery players collected more
than $75 million in Big Game cash prizes, including jackpots of $43
million ($22.9 million cash value) and $107 million ($57.7 million cash
value). Congratulations to all of our retailers on increased
Big Game ticket sales. Your patience and courtesy with customers is
a big reason Lottery players keep coming back. Thank you for a job well
done. “Golf & Cash” • Golf balls symbol—the winner receives one
dozen Top-Flite‚ XL 3000 Super Long‘ golf balls. • Irons symbol—the winner receives one set
of Top-Flite‚ XL 2000‘ Irons (3-iron through pitching wedge)
with one Top-Flite‚ stand bag and tour umbrella. • Golf certificate symbol—winner receives
one round of golf for two with a cart at any of the participating Michigan
courses. These merchandise prizes should not be validated by
a retailer. To receive golf merchandise or course certificates, winners
must legibly print their name, address and phone number on the back
of the ticket and mail it to the redemption facility using one of the
pre-addressed envelopes supplied by the Lottery. Winners may also address
a standard envelope with proper postage and mail the ticket to: HLP/Michigan Lottery Please note that players should not send non-winning
tickets or tickets that have won cash prizes to this P.O. Box. Non-winning
tickets and tickets that have won cash prizes are not eligible for merchandise
prizes. And remember, cash cannot be substituted for a merchandise prize. Harley-Davidson To enter the Harley-Davidson‚ second-chance drawing,
a player must send two non-winning Harley-Davidson‚ instant tickets
and a separate sheet of paper with his or her name, address and phone
number to: Harley-Davidson Bonus Drawing In these second-chance drawings, one player per drawing
will win a Harley-Davidson‚ motorcycle and 300 other players will
win Harley-Davidson‚ prize packages consisting of Harley-Davidson‚
brand merchandise: telephone, blanket, sunglasses, car/truck mats, license
plate cover, leather hat, flashlight and T-shirt. Entries must be received seven days prior to the drawing
to be eligible for that drawing. I encourage you to remind your customers
about these second-chance drawings so they have ample time to get their
entries in. New Instants On June 6, the $1 “Michigan Wildlife” instant
ticket became available, celebrating Michigan’s unique animal inhabitants
by offering a $6,000 top prize. Winning big will no longer be a fantasy
for your customers who play “Fantasy 5’s,” a $5 ticket
with a $200,000 top prize, available at ticket counters statewide on
June 13. The $2 “Quick Silver” game debuts on June 20, featuring a $30,000 top prize. Finally, the $2 “Money Bags” game hits ticket counters on June 27, offering players a chance to win bags full of money with a $20,000 top prize. |
This past April, Michigan Lottery players came down with
a case of jackpot fever. The Big Game jackpot reached a whopping $331
million for the April 16 drawing—the second largest Big Game jackpot
ever.