News Release PDF
DATE: Tuesday, November 13, 2012
CONTACT: Sally Lunsford 785-296-5708
sally.lunsford@kslottery.net
Kansas Lottery
Celebrates 25th Birthday
The Kansas Lottery celebrated
its 25th
birthday today with a birthday
party at Lottery headquarters in Topeka. Players, members of
the public and former employees enjoyed birthday cake, spun a prize
wheel for free Lottery merchandise, saw a display of vintage
Lottery memorabilia and and enjoyed the antics of the Lottery's new
mascots, Powerball and Megaball.
They also witnessed Kansas
Lottery Executive Director Dennis Wilson, and first director Larry
Montgomery (1987-89), release celebratory balloons to mark the
occasion. Both directors reflected on how far the Kansas Lottery
has come in 25 years. It was November 12, 1987, when the Kansas
Lottery sold its first ticket.
"We started out with just a
single $1 instant scratch game, Up and Away, and sold that game for
several weeks," said Montgomery. "Players were extremely
enthusiastic. In fact, they purchased $7 million worth of tickets
in our first week!" Lottery sales have built steadily over the
years and hit a new record this year.
"Thanks to the continued
support of our players, in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012,
the Kansas Lottery reached a new sales record of $246 million,"
Wilson reported. "At the same time, we transferred $72 million to
the state, also a record."
Speaking of records, the Kansas
Lottery had its biggest jackpot winner ever this year when a
Franklin County player matched all numbers in the March 30 Mega
Millions drawing, and shared a $656 million jackpot with players in
two other states.
So far, the Lottery has created
more than 60 millionaires! The number of players who have won
$1 million or more and the games they won are: 3 - Holiday
Millionaire Raffle, 18 - Super Kansas Cash, 15 - Powerball, 1 -
Mega Millions, 4 - Hot Lotto, 9 - Kansas Cash, 8 - Lotto America, 1
- Club Keno Million Dollar Giveaway, and 1 - Cash Lotto. Four
players also won "$1,000 a week for life" in Cash 4 Life.
Countless other players
have won prizes ranging from $1 up to hundreds of thousands of
dollars without hitting a jackpot, plus the Lottery has given away
an impressive array of vehicles of all descriptions - boats, cars,
trucks, golf carts, motorcycles, even an RV - plus all kinds of
trips, electronics and even original art, in second-chance drawings
and special promotions.
Since the beginning, the Kansas
Lottery has:
- Produced net sales of $4.4
Billion
- Awarded $2.4 Billion in Game
Prizes
- Transferred $1.33 Billion to
the State
The majority of funds from the
Kansas Lottery are dedicated to economic development. Some Lottery
revenue also pays for prison construction and maintenance, juvenile
detention facilities, the problem gambling grant fund and the State
General Fund. For more formation, visit /aboutus/wherethemoneygoes.aspx.
Lottery revenue from selling
special Veteran's tickets goes directly to programs that benefit
Kansas military veterans. Since legislation authorizing the games
was passed in 2003, the Lottery has transferred more than $8.6
million from sales of Veteran's games to designated
programs. In honor of Veteran's Day, Lottery
representatives are this month holding promotions throughout the
state to raise awareness of Veteran's games.
"I commend our Lottery
staff, current and past, for their creativity, top-notch customer
service and commitment to doing a great job for Kansas," said
Wilson. "It's especially gratifying to see we have ten employees
who signed on with the Lottery 25 years ago and are still here
today because they love what we do."
The Kansas Lottery currently
sells $1, $2, $5, $10 and $20 instant scratch tickets and $1 and $2
pull tabs. In addition, Kansas Lottery players enjoy
Powerball, Mega Millions, Hot Lotto, Super Kansas Cash, Pick 3,
2by2, Keno and Kansas Hold'Em online games. Kansas Lottery products
are sold at more than 1,800 retailers.
The Kansas Lottery entered a new
era in 2007 with passage of the Kansas Expanded Lottery Act
authorizing the Lottery to own and operate casino gaming.
Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City was the first casino to open with
state-owned and -operated gaming in December 2009. Kansas Star
Casino in Mulvane started operations in December 2011, and
Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway was right behind in February
2012. The casinos generate revenue, not only for the state,
but for the local communities in which they are
located.
For more information on Kansas
Lottery games, winners, promotions, casinos and much more,
visit www.kslottery.com.