Ohio Lottery to ditch Lot 'O Play game over lack of interest

Dec 20, 2006, 1:24 pm (18 comments)

Ohio Lottery

...or maybe over a lack 'O good name? 

The bingo-style Lot 'O Play game that the Ohio Lottery launched slightly more than a year ago will disappear Jan. 20 after a long struggle to win the hearts of players.

In its place, Classic Lotto, a more traditional and preferred game of chance, will debut Jan. 21, lottery officials said.

Lot 'O Play "didn't catch on, and it's not what our players wanted," said Mardele Cohen, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery.

Lot 'O Play, which replaced the long-running Super Lotto Plus game in October 2005, earned $28.8 million during its first year, Cohen said.

In Lot 'O Play, players must choose five correct numbers in a row from 00 to 99 on a bingolike grid. Bingo-style games are more popular with instant tickets, Cohen said.

"We gave it a good shot and we had a good run," she said. "But we feel we can produce more revenue and more profit with a traditional lotto game."

Lot 'O Play's biggest jackpot of $10.6 million was hit in Cleveland in February, and a $4.1 million prize was won in North Ridgeville in July.

"Any business would like to have a brand-new product in its first year that would make $28.8 million in profit," Cohen said.

Lot 'O Play was launched after sales for Super Lotto Plus, which started in 2000, began declining when the Ohio Lottery Commission joined the 11-state Mega Millions game in 2002.

If the Lot 'O Play jackpot is not won on Jan. 20, its cash value will roll down into the game's lower tiers. Players who match two, three or four of five numbers in their respective prize tiers will share 33.3 percent of that jackpot's cash value, lottery officials said.

"People could win a lot of money playing it on the last day," Cohen said.

The new Classic Lotto game is "back to basics and a much simpler game," Cohen said. "More importantly, it's what our players have asked [for]. You are not going to succeed in business if you won't listen to your players."

In Classic Lotto, players choose six numbers between 1 and 49. Classic Lotto tickets cost $1 and will be drawn on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Jackpots start at $1 million and grow weekly if no one wins.

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Just6ntlc

I'm happy that classic lotto returns Todd.

cps10's avatarcps10

I am very happy about this too, seeing as I play in OH a good bit.

CASH Only

I don't think Lot O'Play is a bad name. I don't see any other US lottery trying out out such a game.

Ohio has a problem with jackpot winners who choose lump sum. The cash value percentage of the LOP annuity is fixed (currently at 50%,) unlike in MM, where the cash value is a floating percentage, which is a number of points higher, even though both games use the same type of annuity (26 equal payments).

I don't think all lotteries listen to their players. Where I live is a very good example.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by CASH Only on Dec 20, 2006

I don't think Lot O'Play is a bad name. I don't see any other US lottery trying out out such a game.

Ohio has a problem with jackpot winners who choose lump sum. The cash value percentage of the LOP annuity is fixed (currently at 50%,) unlike in MM, where the cash value is a floating percentage, which is a number of points higher, even though both games use the same type of annuity (26 equal payments).

I don't think all lotteries listen to their players. Where I live is a very good example.

This is a great example of what I (and others) are referring to in this thread.

I have no problem with any points you're making about the name, the annuity issue in Ohio, or the payments.

However, your insistance on bringing up the NY Lottery in every thread, regardless of its relevance to the NY Lottery is called thread hijacking, and I have asked you to stop doing that dozens of times.  I would really love to see you stick to the topic a time or two, it would be a real novelty.  You obviously have some knowledge on annuities and payout percentages, and it's a shame it gets lost in all the trolling.

CASH Only

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Dec 20, 2006

This is a great example of what I (and others) are referring to in this thread.

I have no problem with any points you're making about the name, the annuity issue in Ohio, or the payments.

However, your insistance on bringing up the NY Lottery in every thread, regardless of its relevance to the NY Lottery is called thread hijacking, and I have asked you to stop doing that dozens of times.  I would really love to see you stick to the topic a time or two, it would be a real novelty.  You obviously have some knowledge on annuities and payout percentages, and it's a shame it gets lost in all the trolling.

Towards the end, it says more or less that the Ohio Lottery listens to its players. I'm of the opinion that there are US lotteries that DO NOT listen to its customers. Lotteries tend to be monopolistic, even though they do compete against each other, and with other forms of entertainment. Lottery players should not only have their voices heard, but lotteries should make an attempt to reach out to the people who make them work. It just so happens I live in a state that is anti-lottery player, and I'm sorry that I so often use it as an example.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by CASH Only on Dec 20, 2006

Towards the end, it says more or less that the Ohio Lottery listens to its players. I'm of the opinion that there are US lotteries that DO NOT listen to its customers. Lotteries tend to be monopolistic, even though they do compete against each other, and with other forms of entertainment. Lottery players should not only have their voices heard, but lotteries should make an attempt to reach out to the people who make them work. It just so happens I live in a state that is anti-lottery player, and I'm sorry that I so often use it as an example.

I understand, and I do appreciate that you bring these things up, because it's very important to keep the lotteries on their toes. 

After all, that's the power we all have by sticking together on issues like computerized drawings vs. real drawings, payout percentages, honesty in prize redemption, etc., etc. 

Please just try to keep comments about various topics together. 

If this news story is a good example of how Ohio listens to its players, then let's use the opportunity to point that out.

But let's not use the opportunity to point out how certain other states do not listen.  You have already brought up in other threads how you feel the NY Lottery does not listen, and a thread about Ohio should just be about Ohio, unless another state is in the original post (which it's not).

The reason for this is that people do not want to read about the New York Lottery every time a story about annuities or payouts is mentioned.  Make sense?

jeffrey's avatarjeffrey

The problem with the Ohio Lottery is that it is monopolistic. Their true effort is to reduce the jackpots and increase the profitability. People who win want to be millionaires not thousandaires. I doubt they will listen to this although I have written them before.

SassyOhio's avatarSassyOhio

I am so HAPPY that they got rid of Lotto Play... It was a waste of time!  For example I played  occasionally and one day I FIANLLY got a ticket that had some profit and it was $10.00. The cashier at the local market said and I QUOTE!!!!  OMG I have NEVER seen one of these hit for so much!!  HELLO!!!! that was my sign NOT TO PLAY AGAIN lol.  SO I am excited to see how the exchange works out and I think that it will be a more intersting game to be playing!

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by SassyOhio on Dec 21, 2006

I am so HAPPY that they got rid of Lotto Play... It was a waste of time!  For example I played  occasionally and one day I FIANLLY got a ticket that had some profit and it was $10.00. The cashier at the local market said and I QUOTE!!!!  OMG I have NEVER seen one of these hit for so much!!  HELLO!!!! that was my sign NOT TO PLAY AGAIN lol.  SO I am excited to see how the exchange works out and I think that it will be a more intersting game to be playing!

Thanks for the story about the store clerk.  I agree with you, and I am happy for you, that Ohio will be getting a classic lotto-style game again.  The fact that there was no standard Pick 6 game was a gaping hole in the game lineup.

rdc137

I wish I could've had a chance to play this for myself before it disappears. My friend who went to Ohio forgot to buy me a ticket. Oh the agony!

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by jeffrey on Dec 21, 2006

The problem with the Ohio Lottery is that it is monopolistic. Their true effort is to reduce the jackpots and increase the profitability. People who win want to be millionaires not thousandaires. I doubt they will listen to this although I have written them before.

It's been many years since the Ohio Lottery Commission was player savey and this isn't the first time a $2 lotto type game has failed.  If they believed people would play it because they think Lot 'O Play similar to the popular scatch-off Bingo games, the Commission doesn't understand why people like to play the scatch-off games. It's a known fact that more people play lotto games when the jackpots are high but without a solid player base at the lower levels, the jackpots will never grow high enough.

 

I wonder if the person that convinced the Commission that the players would buy a $2 ticket to win $2 or $3 million when they could buy a $1 ticket to win at least $12 million at the same lottery terminal, sold the Commission members ocean front property in Arizona too?

 

Ohio will be getting a new Lottery Commission Director in January and maybe somebody will take a long hard look at the volume of play for the "must win" final draw of Lot 'O Play.  

SassyOhio's avatarSassyOhio

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Dec 21, 2006

It's been many years since the Ohio Lottery Commission was player savey and this isn't the first time a $2 lotto type game has failed.  If they believed people would play it because they think Lot 'O Play similar to the popular scatch-off Bingo games, the Commission doesn't understand why people like to play the scatch-off games. It's a known fact that more people play lotto games when the jackpots are high but without a solid player base at the lower levels, the jackpots will never grow high enough.

 

I wonder if the person that convinced the Commission that the players would buy a $2 ticket to win $2 or $3 million when they could buy a $1 ticket to win at least $12 million at the same lottery terminal, sold the Commission members ocean front property in Arizona too?

 

Ohio will be getting a new Lottery Commission Director in January and maybe somebody will take a long hard look at the volume of play for the "must win" final draw of Lot 'O Play.  

I wonder if the person that convinced the Commission that the players would buy a $2 ticket to win $2 or $3 million when they could buy a $1 ticket to win at least $12 million at the same lottery terminal, sold the Commission members ocean front property in Arizona too?

 

 

COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF!!!!  Smash

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by rdc137 on Dec 21, 2006

I wish I could've had a chance to play this for myself before it disappears. My friend who went to Ohio forgot to buy me a ticket. Oh the agony!

You still have to January 20,2007 to play and if you wait until the last game to play you could win even more since if no one wins the jackpot, it will be distributed among the lower tier winners.

rdc137

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Dec 21, 2006

You still have to January 20,2007 to play and if you wait until the last game to play you could win even more since if no one wins the jackpot, it will be distributed among the lower tier winners.

Ohio is a rather long drive from Delaware.

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