Idaho Lottery

The Idaho Lottery is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) and is run by the state government. The Lottery was created on July 19, 1989 and allocates 50% of net funds to public schools, while the remaining monies are given to the Permanent Building Fund that is used to finance colleges and universities in the state of Idaho.

History

In November 1988, Idaho residents passed the constitutional amendment to create the Lottery. The games began within 200 days, which was record-setting. The Idaho Lottery has had more than .7 billion in lottery ticket sales and has allocated 2.5 million to education and buildings.

The Lottery has broken previous sale records during Fiscal Year 2008 when it reached 7 million in sales. From those monies, the state of Idaho returned .75 million of profit to its residents, which was the 5th consecutive year that this has happened. Lottery winners received .5 million in prizes and jackpots, while retailers enjoyed .2 million in commissions.

Games

The Idaho Lottery has a variety of products that include pull tabs, instant scratch games, Powerball, Wild Card 2, Hot Lotto, Idaho Pick 3 and Double Play Daily. The two daily games are the Idaho Pick 3 (played seven days a week) and the Double Play Daily(two consecutive drawings every night; ticket is eligible to be a winner in both drawings).

The Hot Lotto, Powerball and Wild Card 2 are each drawn on Wednesday and Saturdays. The minimum play for all Idaho Lottery games is , with the exception of Double Play Daily. Both the Powerball and the Hot Lotto offer additional plays that cost an extra . The 52 instant scratch-off games range in price from to . Pull tabs are available in bars, restaurants and bowling alleys for $.025 to each. On October 1, 2007, Idaho began selling the multi-state Hot Lotto tickets (this is unrelated to Idaho's Hot Lotto game that was offered in the 1990's).

The Lottery also operates charitable gaming such as raffles and bingo halls. The first statewide raffle game was commenced in 2007 which is known as the Idaho ,000,000 Raffle. It sold tickets for each and ran out in 36 days after all 250,000 tickets were purchased.

Technology

In February 2007, the Idaho Lottery began using INTRALOT USA for its on-line games. This changeover necessitated the installation of new terminals and satellites across the state. This new technology and its software capabilities permit the Lottery to offer unique and specialized promotions for its lottery games. In July 2007, the Lottery also changed its instant ticket vendor to Scientific Games, Inc. The combined effect of new providers has allowed lottery players to enter second-chance draws via tele-entry by telephone or via the Internet.

July 2007 also gave way to a debut of VIP Club membership, which was a North American first. Lottery players are able to earn rewards when making lottery ticket purchases. For example, each spent on computer-generated tickets (this includes Hot Lotto, Wild Card 2, Idaho Pick 3, Powerball and the Raffle), a lottery player receives 1 point. All points can be redeemed through the Idaho Lottery's VIP Club website for merchandise and prizes that include DVD players, watches, iPods and bicycles.

The Idaho Lottery had another "first" in August 2008, when it allowed lottery players to donate a portion of their winning from scratch-off tickets to international charities. For instance, in February 2009, the Lottery offered a scratch game that supported the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games that were held in Idaho. Winning players are then asked to contribute 25%, 50% or 100% of their prize money to support the event.

Mascot

The Idaho Lottery has an unofficial mascot known as the 'Ball,' which is a large symbol of the red Powerball. This oversized 'Ball' has a circumference of 132 inches and has been frequently displayed in television commercials since 2006. The Powerball lottery feature 'Ball' in their commercials in which they portrayed the mascot too be too big to fit into elevators, revolving doors or up escalators.

These days, 'Ball' can be seen at special events and venues for basketball, hockey, football and baseball. The 'Ball' image has also been applied to an 11 foot helium balloon that hovers over the Lottery's special events trailer.