Florida started a new add-on game today (3/20/06) for Fantasy 5. Essentially, for each $1.00 Fantasy 5 ticket you can select the "ez-match" option for an additional $1.00. If the ez-match option is selected, the terminal will print out a ticket with 5 additional numbers with dollar amount beside each number. If any of your 5 Fantasy 5 numbers match any of the ez-match numbers then you win the corresponding dollar amount (from $2 to $500). If you don't win an instant ez-match amount, your original Fantasy 5 number set is still in the game for the nightly Fantasy 5 drawing.
The info on the ez-match game seems to indicate that the 5 ez-match numbers are picked by the terminal, but I don't think that means the ez-match numbers are random in regard to the prizes, as the odds of winning $500 are 1 in 210,000 and the odds get better as the prize amounts go down. (Florida Fantasy 5 uses numbers between 1 and 36).
If it was completely a random event then each prize amount should have an equal chance of coming up. I am thinking this is less about actual random numbers matching and more about having a set algorothm where in a prize pool of 210,000 tickets, one ticket will be selected to win the $500 prize and when that occurs, print a $500 winning match number, and the same for the lower prizes at the published odds.
My Trial Set of 5 Tickets:
I bought 5 sets of numbers ($2.00 per number set) and matched one number for $2.00 (which is predictable at overall odds of 1 in 4.88 ... I spent $5.00 extra, $1.00 each for the 5 tickets).
Interestingly the number set that won $2.00 was the only quick pick of the five number sets.
The odds are better in straight Cash 3 (1 in 1000 for $500) and straight Play 4 (1 in 10,000 for $5000).
If anyone else from Florida has played ez-match let us know your results.
More info here: http://flalottery.com/games-fantasy5Main.do