Kansas Lottery adds 'Hot Lotto' game

Mar 14, 2006, 8:42 am (25 comments)

Hot Lotto

"Mini Powerball" is coming to Kansas.

Sales for the multi-state "Hot Lotto" numbers game began Sunday for Wednesday's first biweekly drawing that will include the Sunflower State.

Like Powerball, winning Hot Lotto numbers are selected and announced every Wednesday and Saturday.

Hot Lotto jackpots are smaller than those offered by Powerball, but players have better odds of winning. The odds are 1 in 16 of getting any winning Hot Lotto ticket for prizes that range from $2 to the minimum $1 million top prize. The odds of catching any Powerball winner are around one in 36.

Odds of winning the top Hot Lotto jackpot are 1 in 10,939,383. Winning the top prize in Powerball is calculated as 1 in 146 million.

Unlike Powerball, Hot Lotto drawings are conducted with a computerized drawing system.  Rather than having the numbers drawn from tumbling drums of numbered balls, Hot Lotto drawing results are generated by a computer using a Random Number Generator (RNG).

Computerized drawings have been embroiled in controversy, especially in the past 2 years, as errors and suspicion have dogged the computer systems.

Last May, the California Lottery fixed a problem with its Daily Derby game, in which an error in the computerized drawing systsem made it impossible for certain combinations to win.  (See https://www.lotterypost.com/news/112810.htm)  If it were not for a sharp-eyed lottery player who checked the past results carefully, the error may have stayed in the system for months, or even years, longer.

Of the eight lotto games available in Missouri, only Powerball is drawn using a traditional lottery drawing machine.  All other games are drawn using computers.

On Wednesday Kansas Lottery officials will be giving away hundreds of free game tickets and other promotional prizes at selected lottery retail outlets statewide, including from 4-7 p.m. at the Price Chopper 4 store at 8686 Antioch Road in Overland Park.

Kansas becomes the ninth Hot Lotto state since the game was introduced four years ago by the Multi-State Lottery Association that also manages Powerball.

Kansas Lottery Director Ed Van Petten said Kansas resisted Hot Lotto for years, fearing the game would cannibalize its Powerball and in-state Kansas Super Cash numbers game that offers a minimum jackpot of $100,000.

"Market analysis showed that wasn't the case," said Van Petten. He said sales for those two games are forecast to drop by around 10 percent but should be "way offset" by new Hot Lotto sales.

Missouri Lottery officials said Monday there were no plans to add Hot Lotto to the state's inventory of numbers games. Missouri's own in-state, six-number Lotto game also offers prizes of $1 million or more.

After it is won, the Hot Lotto top jackpot is reset at $1 million and grows after each drawing that it is not won. Top jackpot winners must correctly pick five numbers from a field of 39 plus the "hot ball" number from a field of 19.

Picking five Hot Lotto numbers, but not the hot ball, is worth $10,000, with other winning combinations worth $500, $50, $4 and $3.

Powerball, which is played in 30 states and territories, offers a minimum top jackpot of $15 million that also grows until it is won. Other Powerball prizes range from $3 to $200,000. Powerball players pick numbers from larger fields of 55 and 42 numbers.

Since Hot Lotto was introduced in April 2002, top jackpots have averaged $3.7 million. The current jackpot is at $8.29 million.

Like Powerball, the Hot Lotto jackpot can be paid as an annuity paid over 24 years or as a pre-tax, lump sum payment based on the annuity's starting value.

Hot Lotto tickets are available at all 1,900 Kansas Lottery outlets statewide.

Kansas City Star

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LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

you know what would be funny is for hot lotto to end up with the same results over and over due to a computerized glitch like the pick 3 game did a while back......so do yourself a favor and play the winning numbers for the next draw because you never know.

Todd's avatarTodd

Yeah, that's true Mike, I forgot about that one. (How could I?)

CASH Only

I am not a fan of computerized drawings either, but I would rather play a computerized HL than the new Lose for Life, even where there is a cash option.

IMO the real reason KS finally joined is that neighboring Oklahoma just started a lottery. OK and Nebraska, neither with a "classic" lotto game, are starting to feel pressure toward joining HL. The startup of the North Carolina lottery likewise may push South Carolina and/or Tennessee into HL, now that Lotto South is gone.

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

"Hot Lotto drawing results are generated by a computer using a Random Number Generator (RNG)."

That should bring out the trolls. Troll I also curious how many people would hate computerized drawings, until they won. Too me it does not matter how I get there, a jackpot win is a jackpot win. I just happen not to play any RNG games as of now. I did try the day draws a few times, and actually hit boxed. No complaints so as long as I am winning.

Just6ntlc

Good luck to Kansas in terms of playing Hot Lotto. Is their Super Cash Game [5/32+1/25] ball drawn or computerized? Why is Hot Lotto using RNG effective 2/1/06?

CASH Only

Good luck to Kansas in terms of playing Hot Lotto. Is their Super Cash Game [5/32+1/25] ball drawn or computerized? Why is Hot Lotto using RNG effective 2/1/06?

All online games in KS are computerized except for Powerball.

I guess MUSL wanted to save money by no longer using balls.

rdc137

Once my existing Hot Lotto multi-draw ticket (from DC) expires it is unlikely I'll buy it, or any DC games again. I don't like the concept of computerized drawings, and use that as an excuse to control my lottery spending by not buying such games.

CASH Only

Once my existing Hot Lotto multi-draw ticket (from DC) expires it is unlikely I'll buy it, or any DC games again. I don't like the concept of computerized drawings, and use that as an excuse to control my lottery spending by not buying such games.

I don't like the computerized drawings either. But HL drawn with RNGs is still better than a ball-drawn Lose for Life or Unlucky for Life.

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

Once my existing Hot Lotto multi-draw ticket (from DC) expires it is unlikely I'll buy it, or any DC games again. I don't like the concept of computerized drawings, and use that as an excuse to control my lottery spending by not buying such games.

I don't like the computerized drawings either. But HL drawn with RNGs is still better than a ball-drawn Lose for Life or Unlucky for Life.

NOTHING is worse than a computerized lottery drawing.....

rdc137

Forget it LOTTOMIKE, Cash is on a kick to tie everything back to his/her fantasy non-existant hated games.

 It would be interesting to see what happens to Powerball if it went RNG. I would stop playing, but I doubt most people would.

One other type of game I don't play, and this may seem a little picky. If the ball drawing is not televised (on TV, internet, etc.) then I will not play it. One game this applies to is Virginia's Cash 5 night game. If you watch the netcast of the drawings (check their site), you will hear Mikki say "Cash 5 as always at the side of your screen." The day drawing is shown as it happens. I'm guessing VA does this for time when it broadcasts the drawings, and it seems unlikely that they would be using RNG for that single drawing, but it is better to see it than not. For all we know, they might just tell the director to type 5 random numbers on the screen during the broadcast (doubtful, but not impossible). Just some thoughts on that...

CASH Only

Forget it LOTTOMIKE, Cash is on a kick to tie everything back to his/her fantasy non-existant hated games.

 It would be interesting to see what happens to Powerball if it went RNG. I would stop playing, but I doubt most people would.

One other type of game I don't play, and this may seem a little picky. If the ball drawing is not televised (on TV, internet, etc.) then I will not play it. One game this applies to is Virginia's Cash 5 night game. If you watch the netcast of the drawings (check their site), you will hear Mikki say "Cash 5 as always at the side of your screen." The day drawing is shown as it happens. I'm guessing VA does this for time when it broadcasts the drawings, and it seems unlikely that they would be using RNG for that single drawing, but it is better to see it than not. For all we know, they might just tell the director to type 5 random numbers on the screen during the broadcast (doubtful, but not impossible). Just some thoughts on that...

I would still play PB if it went computerized, though maybe not as much. Do all MUSL members have to agree when a change is proposed, be it HL or PB?

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

Forget it LOTTOMIKE, Cash is on a kick to tie everything back to his/her fantasy non-existant hated games.

 It would be interesting to see what happens to Powerball if it went RNG. I would stop playing, but I doubt most people would.

One other type of game I don't play, and this may seem a little picky. If the ball drawing is not televised (on TV, internet, etc.) then I will not play it. One game this applies to is Virginia's Cash 5 night game. If you watch the netcast of the drawings (check their site), you will hear Mikki say "Cash 5 as always at the side of your screen." The day drawing is shown as it happens. I'm guessing VA does this for time when it broadcasts the drawings, and it seems unlikely that they would be using RNG for that single drawing, but it is better to see it than not. For all we know, they might just tell the director to type 5 random numbers on the screen during the broadcast (doubtful, but not impossible). Just some thoughts on that...

I would still play PB if it went computerized, though maybe not as much. Do all MUSL members have to agree when a change is proposed, be it HL or PB?

i wonder this myself.if they have a voting process.....

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

Once my existing Hot Lotto multi-draw ticket (from DC) expires it is unlikely I'll buy it, or any DC games again. I don't like the concept of computerized drawings, and use that as an excuse to control my lottery spending by not buying such games.

thats good rdc137 don't play computerized drawings....

rdc137

I didn't know about HL going computer at the time I bought the ticket. It would not surprise me to see PB do it too. Consider this, Channel 6 in Philadelphia usually cuts into the PB drawing midway through it or sometimes miss it outright. Channel 6 probably serves the biggest number of prospective Powerball players (most of Eastern Pennsylvania south of I-80 and almost all of Delaware). IIRC, Philadelphia is the biggest city selling PB. If they don't care enough to air the drawing in full (only a passing blow), then would most people notice or care if it disappeared and just showed the numbers during the 11 o'clock news? (I'm talking most people in general, not necessarily people here).

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