Maryland Lottery launches new Fast Play instant games

Feb 9, 2020, 9:47 am (14 comments)

Maryland Lottery

Includes video report

Starting Monday, Maryland Lottery players will be able to play a new category of instant game that doesn't require any scratching.

Fast Play games are instant tickets that you don't have to scratch. They are printed by Lottery terminals and self-service vending machines, just like draw game tickets. But you find out instantly if you've won — no scratching and no drawings.

Five different Fast Play games will go on sale at all Maryland Lottery retailers on Feb. 10.

Just like scratch-offs, the new games come in a variety of prices and play styles. Each has its own play instructions and prize structure. The Lottery website will be updated each day with the number of remaining prizes on all Fast Play games, just as it is for scratch-offs.

The new Fast Play games are:

  • $1 Piggy Bank Bucks: 20 top prizes of $1,000
  • $2 Cherry Twist: 10 top prizes of $10,000
  • $3 Treasure Chase: 10 top prizes of $30,000 top prize
  • $5 Hit $250: 8,000 top prizes of $250
  • $10 Lucky Numbers: 40 progressive top prizes starting at $100,000

Progressive top prize games like Lucky Numbers have a top prize that starts at a base amount and increases with the sale of each ticket until a top-prize-winning ticket is sold. The progressive top prize amount then resets to the base amount and starts increasing again. The Lottery's website and in-store video monitors will display estimated progressive top prize amounts updated every 15 minutes. When you buy a progressive top prize game, an up-to-the-minute progressive top prize amount will be displayed on your ticket.

The Fast Play launch will mark the first time the Maryland Lottery has introduced a new game category since 2016, when it started offering Cash4Life. Fast Play games have been successful in 18 other states. Each state operates Fast Play independently, which means it is not a multi-state lottery game like Powerball or Mega Millions.

"We're starting with games that exist in some form in other jurisdictions," said Kate Airey, Maryland Lottery director of product development. "We'll add games quarterly and base future offerings on player preferences for game price and play style."

VIDEO: How to play

Thanks to four4me for the tip.

Press Release, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Bleudog101

We've had it in Kentucky for a few months now.   They don't call it the same names as Maryland's, but it is the same thing.

KLC just started a campaign to be the 'Thunderator' for Thunder over Louisville (KY Derby event), just entered three $5 non-winners.   

music*'s avatarmusic*

Good Luck to all Maryland players. 

 Bleudog101  I  hope you know how to rate these stories. It is in the upper left side of this story.

Bleudog101

Thanks for the information on rating these stories, didn't know that!

db101's avatardb101

I can see why they are appealing. The one and only time I bought a fast play in Florida, the ticket that was printed out looked a lot like a scratch card without the coating and the graphics. Match some numbers to some other numbers. People who like scratch cards but don't like the scratching should love these.

NoCompLotto!

I've played these for a while in Michigan. The difference between these and the Michigan games is that the Michigan games feed into one giant progressive - currently over $988,000.

I hit $5,000 on one of them about 2 years ago, but other than that, the most I've won on one was $150. I actually like these games - they do live up to their name (Fast).

DELotteryPlyr's avatarDELotteryPlyr

And of course MDlottery drops the ball with their website and lack of information.  In order to see what the progressive jackpot is at, you have to click on what I call the 'hidden' link under 'games', then scroll WAY down on the screen to the bottom where they show it. Thud

Maybe they will put it on the main screen with the rest of the games? Thumbs Up

cottoneyedjoe's avatarcottoneyedjoe

Quote: Originally posted by DELotteryPlyr on Feb 11, 2020

And of course MDlottery drops the ball with their website and lack of information.  In order to see what the progressive jackpot is at, you have to click on what I call the 'hidden' link under 'games', then scroll WAY down on the screen to the bottom where they show it. Thud

Maybe they will put it on the main screen with the rest of the games? Thumbs Up

It's a contagious disease being passed around state lottery websites. CA was recently afflicted. A lot of state lotteries are buying into the idea that if they hide information players need to make informed decisions they will buy more tickets. 

Progressive jackpots sound good to me. DELotteryPlyr, do you wait to play until the jackpot has grown quite a bit? What's your threshold for buying a ticket?

CA hasn't introduced a fundamentally new game in a long time (not counting new editions of scratchers that are released every month) and I wonder if this is something we might be getting too.

DELotteryPlyr's avatarDELotteryPlyr

Quote: Originally posted by cottoneyedjoe on Feb 11, 2020

It's a contagious disease being passed around state lottery websites. CA was recently afflicted. A lot of state lotteries are buying into the idea that if they hide information players need to make informed decisions they will buy more tickets. 

Progressive jackpots sound good to me. DELotteryPlyr, do you wait to play until the jackpot has grown quite a bit? What's your threshold for buying a ticket?

CA hasn't introduced a fundamentally new game in a long time (not counting new editions of scratchers that are released every month) and I wonder if this is something we might be getting too.

Sad, I was hoping it was just Maryland Lottery playing that game!

I like progressive pots, but dont play much more than a 'normal' play.   Until it gets REALLY high then I have to admit to buying more.  Mega Millions is at 200mil but would need to double or more before I get more than normal.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by DELotteryPlyr on Feb 11, 2020

And of course MDlottery drops the ball with their website and lack of information.  In order to see what the progressive jackpot is at, you have to click on what I call the 'hidden' link under 'games', then scroll WAY down on the screen to the bottom where they show it. Thud

Maybe they will put it on the main screen with the rest of the games? Thumbs Up

Couldn't find it just now on Kentucky Lottery.   Once in a blue moon it will pop up on the self service lottery machine.   Not to be outdone a private FB message was sent to KLC.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Feb 12, 2020

Couldn't find it just now on Kentucky Lottery.   Once in a blue moon it will pop up on the self service lottery machine.   Not to be outdone a private FB message was sent to KLC.

KLC just sent me how to find it and saved the link as I still can't find it.   Anyway so far today it is worth $131,097.

Cruzincat

If the retailer/clerk can read the ticket when it comes out, and I cannot because it is not close enough and/or turned the other way, I can see how some people are going top get ripped off.  We have already seen how unscrupulous clerks have checked tickets for people and kept them saying they were not winning tickets when they actually were.

DELotteryPlyr's avatarDELotteryPlyr

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Feb 12, 2020

KLC just sent me how to find it and saved the link as I still can't find it.   Anyway so far today it is worth $131,097.

Looks like people are playing the progressive game.  It shows one jackpot has been paid out and its now worth $120,935.  But we will never know HOW high the first jackpot got! ( Unless you look at the website constantly checking the jackpot amount).  Thanks to Bleudog101 we know it was at least 131k

Also Cruzincat make a GREAT point about abuse from the clerks.  I am sure they have already figured out how to rip off the average player!! 

cottoneyedjoe's avatarcottoneyedjoe

Quote: Originally posted by Cruzincat on Feb 14, 2020

If the retailer/clerk can read the ticket when it comes out, and I cannot because it is not close enough and/or turned the other way, I can see how some people are going top get ripped off.  We have already seen how unscrupulous clerks have checked tickets for people and kept them saying they were not winning tickets when they actually were.

Good point, Cruzincat. Although, as the tickets have some kind of time stamp on them, it would be easy to catch a clerk swapping a pre-printed loser with a freshly printed winner. Players always need to keep their eyes peeled.

It would be harder to catch them ripping customers off if they printed out more than one at a time out of view of the customer and handed back the one with the lowest prize or no prize. Sort of a new twist on barcode pinning they used to do with scratchers, until IGT/SG started printing them with the fancier matrix barcodes instead of the simple linear barcodes.

DELotteryPlyr's avatarDELotteryPlyr

Maryland finally got smart and lists the progressive jackpot on their home page ad banner.  But it is one of 5 ads, which 'flip' by so its very possible to miss it.  Still do not have a dedicated location on the site (home page) for the amount that is simple & easy to see Crazy

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