During the Hoosier Lottery’s Commission meeting, the commission approved a $50,000 payout to Paul Marshall, who had a winning Powerball ticket mistakenly ripped up by staff at the retailer where he bought it. Despite not having the physical ticket, the lottery was able to reconstruct the incident based on Marshall’s affidavit and video evidence, leading to the payout.
In other news, the Hoosier Lottery partnered with lottery supplier EQL Games to offer Team USA-themed scratch-off and Fast Play games leading up to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The tickets will feature iconic Team USA branding and official Olympic sports symbols. The Hoosier Lottery’s Team USA scratch-off ticket goes on sale on June 4, 2024, priced at $2, with a top prize of $5,000. Additionally, a $5 Fast Play ticket, based on Olympic sports symbols, will launch on May 19, 2024. EQL Games is an official licensee of Team USA in the lottery industry, working with multiple state lotteries on similar launches in 2024.
Lottery officials in Iowa have decided to award temporary prizes to individuals who had winning tickets based on the wrong Powerball numbers posted during a recent drawing. The Iowa Lottery attributed the error to a “human reporting error” and stated that the incorrect numbers could have resulted in prize payments ranging from $4 to $200. Players who had cashed their winning tickets before the correction will be allowed to keep the money won. The Powerball drawing in question was estimated to be worth $352 million.
The Massachusetts Lottery is reducing its presence in traditional advertising avenues, such as television, due to the rising costs driven by sports betting companies. Lottery Executive Director Mark William Bracken stated that the cost of advertising has increased, making it challenging for the lottery to afford TV time and certain sponsorships. The Boston Celtics’ annual “Heroes Among Us” awards, previously sponsored by the lottery, had to be dropped as the cost nearly tripled. Sports betting companies, with deeper pockets, are aggressively advertising to attract gamblers to their platforms, affecting other advertisers’ budgets.
This year FDJ is offering a Jour de Chance Advent calendar for 40 euros with 24 scratch games, sold at higher price points than the previous year. The calendar provides diverse games, including Super 10 and Black Jack.
The Arizona Lottery has won recognition at the 2023 Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmy Awards for its “Million Dollar Giveaway” campaign. The campaign, created in collaboration with O.H. Partners and copywriter Ricky Depugh, was honored in the Commercial (Single Spot) category. The Arizona Lottery also received awards at the Phoenix PRSA Copper Anvil Awards for campaigns such as “Arizona Adventure,” “System Outage,” and “Set For Life.” Additionally, the organization won several AZIMA TIM Awards, including Interactive Brand of the Year for Arizona Lottery and O.H. Partners.
Pennsylvania Lottery launched a festive holiday campaign called “Celebrate Like You Mean It,” promoting new holiday scratch-offs and encouraging people to celebrate in unique ways such as using scratch-offs for holiday decor and outfits. The initiative, created in collaboration with 9Rooftops, includes interactive games on Snapchat and collaborations with influencers on Instagram to amplify the campaign. The goal is to connect with broader audiences and raise awareness of the holiday scratch-off offerings.
Sixty-six lotteries and 84 community organizations worldwide have joined the 2023 Gift Responsibly Campaign, an initiative by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours.
The Oregon Lottery and DraftKings Sportsbook are collaborating to host a football watch party on November 30, 2023, at The Independent Sports Bar & Grill. The event, coinciding with the Seattle Seahawks versus Dallas Cowboys matchup, will feature former Seattle Seahawks player Cliff Avril. Attendees can engage in prize-winning activities and meet Cliff Avril. Eligible customers may also receive bonus bets.
The Idaho Lottery has donated $8,000 to three elementary schools in Idaho Falls to support their libraries in purchasing new books for students. The Idaho Lottery’s Bucks for Books program aims to assist public education in Idaho, with $50,000 awarded to 20 schools across the state this year.
A new bill in Wisconsin aims to allow lottery winners of $1 million or more to remain anonymous. The proposed legislation is intended to protect the privacy of big winners, with Rep. William Penterman stating that while transparency helps prevent lottery fraud, legitimate winners may face harassment. If passed, Wisconsin would join 18 other states, including Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota, with policies allowing lottery winners to remain anonymous.