New Tri-State lottery game debuting Sunday

May 9, 2013, 12:52 pm (16 comments)

Insider Buzz

By Todd Northrop

A new pick 5-style lottery game called Gimme 5 goes on sale Sunday in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont — the states that collectively are known as 'Tri-State'.

The first drawing for the new Gimme 5 game will be held Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

"The Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine Lotteries are once again joining together to offer our players a new draw game," said Greg Smith, Executive Director of the Vermont Lottery. "Tri-State Gimme 5 is a fresh, easy-to-play game that carries the excitement of an easy win. The name is fun, has a great feel and energy, and we're fortunate to add Gimme 5 to our suite of Tri-State games; Megabucks Plus, Pick 3 and Pick 4."

The arguably odd 'Gimme 5' name comes less than two months after the Maine Lottery's controversial re-naming of its scratch games to Kwikies — a decision that was abruptly reversed the following day after public outcry.

Gimme 5 drawings occur every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at approximately 7:00 Eastern Time.  Tickets will cost $1 each.

In the game, players choose 5 numbers between 1 and 39 and can win a prize by matching as few as 2 numbers.

The top prize in Gimme 5 is a fixed $100,000 lump sum cash payment, and is won by matching all 5 numbers drawn.  If more than one ticket matches all 5 numbers, then the $100,000 prize will be equally split between the winning tickets.

Winning numbers and prize payout amounts for Gimme 5 will be published on Lottery Post's Maine Lottery Results, New Hampshire Lottery Results and Vermont Lottery Results pages minutes after each drawing.

The complete range of prizes and odds are:

  • Match 5 of 5:  $100,000  (odds are 1 in 575,757)
  • Match 4 of 5:  $250  (odds are 1 in 3,387)
  • Match 3 of 5:  $7  (odds are 1 in 103)
  • Match 2 of 5:  $2  (odds are 1 in 10)

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

RedStang's avatarRedStang

Three states combined and the CT cash 5 alone pays a-little better. Let the top prize roll, not fixed.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Anybody know how many numbers there are?

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on May 9, 2013

Anybody know how many numbers there are?

Looks like a 5/39 game.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by rcbbuckeye on May 9, 2013

Looks like a 5/39 game.

Thanks buckeye.

The Cash5 in Virginia stays at $100,000 too but up to 10 winners before it goes pari-mutuel and it's a 5/34 game.

I like that better.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on May 9, 2013

Anybody know how many numbers there are?

Sorry, I updated the story to include the number matrix.

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on May 9, 2013

Thanks buckeye.

The Cash5 in Virginia stays at $100,000 too but up to 10 winners before it goes pari-mutuel and it's a 5/34 game.

I like that better.

Dang...I wish Texas would update their Cash 5 game. Jackpots are only about $20,000, parimutuel, and odds are 1 in 435,897. Odds like that should have a payout of at least $100,000.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on May 9, 2013

Sorry, I updated the story to include the number matrix.

No problem Todd, thanks.

stunna6036's avatarstunna6036

we call it the lucky day lotto here in illinois, same exact game with  the same odds........

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

They should have made it into a progressive jackpot if they wanted the game to be popular. Mass Cash, 5/35, has way better odds for the same $100,000 jp.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

It's better than the Oklahoma cash.

msharkey2001's avatarmsharkey2001

What? How come I've never heard of this game until now? The NH lottery isn't going all out to promote the new game apparently. Looking forward to next Wednesdays inaugural draw. Gonna be asking the clerk to gimme 5 lines!

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by msharkey2001 on May 9, 2013

What? How come I've never heard of this game until now? The NH lottery isn't going all out to promote the new game apparently. Looking forward to next Wednesdays inaugural draw. Gonna be asking the clerk to gimme 5 lines!

all you need to worry about is where your gonna put that radio

i think something fishy going on

chops

I've been waiting for a pick-5 game here in Vermont for a while now.  Tri-State has been so obsessed with dual-matrix and/or $2 games that I'm glad they've decided to keep it simple and inexpensive at $1.

I love the $2 match 2 prize.  It beats the heck out of the Free Play prize that New York offers with Take Five at the same odds.  While Mass Cash and CT Cash 5 offer better overall odds of hitting $100K (and allow for multiple $100K winners), I think Tri-State made a good call by making the matrix 5/39 in exchange for offering a match 2 prize.

I am a bit disappointed that the top prize has to be split if there's more than one winner.  I wouldn't be surprised if this happens on the first draw since they're skipping the Monday draw for that week.  It made sense when Lucky for Life was launched; the first-draw winner generated much-needed excitement for the game.  If we have a split grand prize for the first Gimme 5 drawing, I predict it'll have the opposite effect.  A progressive jackpot would have made a lot more sense, even if they had to cut the starting jackpot to $50K or so.

faber98

Quote: Originally posted by chops on May 9, 2013

I've been waiting for a pick-5 game here in Vermont for a while now.  Tri-State has been so obsessed with dual-matrix and/or $2 games that I'm glad they've decided to keep it simple and inexpensive at $1.

I love the $2 match 2 prize.  It beats the heck out of the Free Play prize that New York offers with Take Five at the same odds.  While Mass Cash and CT Cash 5 offer better overall odds of hitting $100K (and allow for multiple $100K winners), I think Tri-State made a good call by making the matrix 5/39 in exchange for offering a match 2 prize.

I am a bit disappointed that the top prize has to be split if there's more than one winner.  I wouldn't be surprised if this happens on the first draw since they're skipping the Monday draw for that week.  It made sense when Lucky for Life was launched; the first-draw winner generated much-needed excitement for the game.  If we have a split grand prize for the first Gimme 5 drawing, I predict it'll have the opposite effect.  A progressive jackpot would have made a lot more sense, even if they had to cut the starting jackpot to $50K or so.

the poor clerks are going to be deluged with those $2.00 cashes. obviously the lottery commision figures a majority of that will be reinvested back in. you would think that they would either make it a progressive top prize or reduce the field size down to 35 to compete with ma/ct whose same game has much better value. people who live on the border of ma will not venture over to play this up there i wouldn't think.

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