Lottery: best six months

by Commissioner Gary Peters

I am proud that we have just completed the most successful six-month period in the 34-plus- year history of the Lottery.

As a result, we are on track for another record year, our fourth consecutive. Halfway through the state fiscal year, our sales are nearly $1.2 billion, up 3 percent from last year’s pace.

There are a couple of reasons for this success. Although it is in its fourth year, Club Keno sales continue to grow by double digits. And the Millionaire Raffle has far exceeded expectations (see below).

Congratulations to all. In a time when state government is suffering terribly, the Lottery is a successful, efficient business operation.

The Lottery’s second Millionaire Raffle drawing will have taken place by the time you read this. But let me congratulate everyone involved in making the sales of that second game among the most rapid of all raffle games in the country.

Michigan’s 600,000 tickets sold out in just six days. We anticipated brisk sales, since the first game’s 500,000 tickets were gone in 11 days, but the six days surprised even the most optimistic among us. Watch for information in the coming months about another Millionaire Raffle from the Michigan Lottery.

New instants
April 30: $20 $10,000,000 Game Book—a sampling of eight popular Cashword and Bingo style games. Included in the $10 million in total prize money are top prizes of $500,000 and 200 prizes of $10,000.
April 30: $2 $30,000 Bingo
April 30: $2 Silver & Gold
May 14: $20 $35,000,000 Riches
May 14: $1 Triple Tripler
May 25: $5 Corvette Cash
May 25: $25 Card Stud

All proceeds from the Lottery are contributed to the state School Aid Fund, which supports kindergarten through 12th grade public education in Michigan. In fiscal year 2006, the contribution was $688 million. For additional information, please visit the Lottery’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/lottery.