Michigan Lottery to offer less-pricey raffle

Feb 25, 2009, 8:37 am (9 comments)

Michigan Lottery

Paying heed to tough economic times, new Lucky 7 offers players $10 chances at winning up to $700K

LANSING, Mich. — Responding to tough economic times, the Michigan Lottery is launching its latest raffle game — and you won't see a $50 ticket price, or a $2 million top prize.

Tickets for the raffle, Lucky 7s, go on sale Monday for $10 each. The top prize is $700,000, the first time in the two-year history of the raffles that it will fall below the $1 million mark.

"We have a lot of players who really like the style and odds in the raffle games, but who wanted to know if we could offer a ticket that didn't cost as much," said Lottery spokeswoman Andi Brancato. "Everyone has limited discretionary income right now and we have to be cognizant of where we are economically."

When the state held its first $50-a-ticket Super Raffle in June 2007, the tickets sold out in 2 1/2 days. In the last Super Raffle drawing on Nov. 5, the Lottery fell 34,404 tickets short of selling the 250,000 tickets it planned to, despite being on sale for nearly three months. It was the only time a raffle game had not sold out.

Mike Sawa, owner of Oak Liquor & Wine in Oak Park, one of the state's top Lottery retailers, said he's glad to see the scaled-back ticket price.

"I think it's a good idea," he said. "We have a hard time selling them at $50, but a $10 ticket should do real well, especially in these times."

Lucky 7s will have a record 1 million tickets available for sale. Cash prizes will top $5 million.

In the drawing, tentatively scheduled for May 4, there will be 19,820 cash prizes including two top prizes of $700,000; 18 prizes of $70,000 each; 1,800 tickets worth $1,700; and 18,000 winning tickets will be good for $70 each. The seven-digit tickets will be issued in numerical order as sales occur, from 0000001 to 1000000.

The Lottery's sales and contributions to the state School Aid Fund dipped slightly last year, after four straight years of records for both. Last year's sales of $2.34 billion were down $12 million, or about 0.5 percent from 2007. Contributions to K-12 schools last year were $740.7 million, down $8 million, or 1.1 percent, from the year before. Still, 2008 was the second best performance in the Lottery's 36-year history.

In their 2008 annual financial report, Lottery officials noted the challenging times: "In addition to both steady job losses and high unemployment, the continued downturn in the housing market causes additional concern. These issues and uncertainties in the economy will impact spending patterns and could impact Lottery sales."

Detroit News

Comments

Tenaj's avatarTenaj

I wish NC do another raffle.

Halle99's avatarHalle99

Quote: Originally posted by Tenaj on Feb 25, 2009

I wish NC do another raffle.

I also hope Texas could do another raffle....I have never bought one.

MaddMike51

I hope Iowa has another raffle this year,too.

fwlawrence's avatarfwlawrence

Quote: Originally posted by Halle99 on Feb 25, 2009

I also hope Texas could do another raffle....I have never bought one.

When was the first one held? I don't remember.

Halle99's avatarHalle99

Quote: Originally posted by fwlawrence on Feb 26, 2009

When was the first one held? I don't remember.

Oh maybe never cause I have never played any....

Piaceri

I'll probably buy one, or two, or three. LOL.

ICNUMBERS's avatarICNUMBERS

Off to the UP I will go.

DC81's avatarDC81

I heard the advertisement on the radio earlier today and they kept going on with the "Seven" gimmick and with the announcer saying it so many times he then came to the price of a ticket I was waiting for him to say "seven dollars" but then he said ten which left me with a similar expression as to the one on the right. Skeptical

Maybe it's just me but if you're going to promote a game with the whole Lucky Sevens concept, it'd make at least some sense for the tickets to be seven dollars. *shrugs*

bigato1010's avatarbigato1010

wtg with  the economy turned upside down , a buck times 10 is reasonable .. Good idea, the question how long will this be ? finaly msl is listening to the lottrey community.

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