FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Monday, February 23, 2009

 

CONTACT: David Workman         

(208) 334-2600

                                

LOTTERY KICKS OFF 20th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 

WITH COMMEMORATIVE TICKET

 

Boise – The Idaho Lottery is marking 20 years of success this morning with the debut of their special edition, commemorative 20th Anniversary Have a 200 Grand Time ticket, a new Scratch^TM game that features a top prize of $200,000.  Today’s announcement starts a five month long campaign to celebrate the Idaho Lottery’s twentieth year of operations.

 

“The success of the Lottery over the past two decades has been truly remarkable,” stated Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director. “To be approaching one-half of a billion dollars in returned dividends to the public schools and permanent buildings of Idaho in just twenty years has certainly exceeded the expectations of those who created the Lottery back in 1989.”

 

The Idaho Lottery sold their first $1 Scratch^TM ticket, Idaho Match 3, to Idaho billionaire J.R. Simplot during a ceremony on the steps of the Idaho State Capitol on July 19, 1989.  Since that time, the Idaho Lottery has generated nearly $1.8 billion in revenue through an extensive network of 900 retail locations statewide. 

 

Over the twenty years since, the Idaho Lottery has awarded more than $1 billion in player prizes, paid over $100 million in retailer commissions, and returned over $402.3 million in dividends to the Idaho Public School Building account and the Idaho State Permanent Building Fund. 

 

“For the campaign, our 20th Anniversary game is all about the 20’s” described Anderson. “In addition to the two top prizes worth $200,000 each, this game features a lot of $20 and $200 prizes, plus twenty, $2,000 prizes.  It’s really a thank you to our players, our retail partners, and our beneficiaries.”

 

For a limited print run of only 300,000 tickets, the new $20, 20th Anniversary Have a 200 Grand Time Scratch^TM game goes on sale today and carries two top prizes of $200,000.  The game, printed on shiny, holographic paper, has over $4.6 million in prizes. 

 

To further enhance this year’s celebration, beginning on March 20, 2009, and the 20th of each month thereafter until the Lottery’s celebration date on July 20, 2009, the Lottery will be awarding one lucky player with a prize of $2,000. Players wishing to enter these limited drawings can enter one non-winning 20th Anniversary Have a 200 Grand Time ticket through Lottery’s website at www.idaholottery.com or via the Lottery’s tele-entry system at 208-334-4656.  When the game officially ends, the Lottery will then hold a second chance draw for all the entries and award one lucky player $50,000.

 

“To all our players and all our retail partners, thank you. I hope all of Idaho will take a moment to join us in celebrating twenty great years of entertainment from your Idaho Lottery,” added Anderson. “And please, when you play, please do so responsibly.”

 

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ABOUT THE IDAHO LOTTERY

The Idaho Lottery responsibly provides a variety of entertaining games featuring Powerball, Scratch™ tickets, and PullTabs with a high degree of integrity to maximize the dividend for Idaho public schools and buildings. Since it’s inception in 1989, the Idaho Lottery has sold more than $1.7 billion in sales, awarded over $1 billion in prizes to players, returned more than $100 million in retail commissions, and distributed more than $402 million in Lottery dividends to state public schools and buildings. To learn more, please visit www.idaholottery.com.