The State Fair is over and summer is winding down. Although the official end of summer comes with Labor Day, the "Happy Days of Summer" live on! There are still several top prizes available in the collect and win portion of the "Happy Days of Summer" promotion. Collect special game pieces from the $1 game "Sunny Money," the $2 game "Instant Payday" and the $5 game "100,000 Money Madness." Use the pieces to spell words on the "Happy Days of Summer" game board, available at Lottery retailers or for download at molottery.com. You could win a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette or a 2007 Forest River 31-ft Sunseeker® RV. Win a trip to Walt Disney World Resort® 
in Orlando, Florida, or a trip to Hawaii! The third and fourth prizes consist of $2,000 for electronics or furniture and $20 worth of Scratchers tickets. The tickets may be getting hard to find, but the prizes are still out there! So keep your eyes open for eligible games and keep your happy dance fresh. There's still time to celebrate the "Happy Days of Summer!"
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August 2007
A helping hand
During the recent $300 million Powerball jackpot run, we were selling tickets at a fairly good clip. I say 
we, implying the Lottery, but Lottery tickets are actually sold by thousands of retailers across the state. There's a little store down in the boot heel which is historically one of our biggest sellers. They knew, at Mr. T's in Cardwell, that there would be lines of customers hoping for a piece of the big jackpot, and they were excited to learn they would have some additional help.
Inside Sales Representatives often have the most contact with individual retailers, talking to the business owners every time they call to order tickets. Over the years, some strong relationships have developed between Lottery sales reps and the retailers they serve. The people who own Mr. T's have become close friends with their sales rep, Sue Wilson. So when sales picked up due to the Powerball 
jackpot, it was just another excuse for old friends to get together. Sue enlisted the help of fellow employee Cat Heinz, and the two traveled to the Lottery outpost to assist with sales during the busy weekend. They weren't getting paid for their work by either party, but they got to spend time with their friends, help promote their business and benefit the Lottery all at the same time. We appreciate employees like Sue and Cat and the thousands of retailers who help the Lottery and the citizens of Missouri generate funds for Missouri public schools. Thanks for playing.
Oh, Powerball!
The Powerball jackpot was hit in Indiana over the weekend, which will bring the ticket buying craze to an end. One lucky Missourian matched all five white-ball numbers to win $200,000, and eight other tickets matched four white-ball numbers and the Powerball to win $10,000. The jackpot will reset to $15 million, which is still a worthy prize in my book. And if you think $2.3 million is plenty, that's the 
Lotto jackpot for Aug. 19, which has much better odds of winning. Is a couple of million still worth spending a dollar?
Jackpot Alert!
Powerball continues to climb! The Aug. 25 jackpot is now estimated at $300 million, which makes it the fourth largest Powerball jackpot and the eighth largest in U.S. Lottery history. In case you were wondering, here's the list of record jackpots:
- $390 million Mega Millions jackpot on 3/6/07
- $365 million Powerball jackpot on 2/28/06
- $363 million Big Game jackpot on 5/9/00
- $340 million Powerball jackpot on 10/19/05
- $331 million Big Game jackpot on 4/16/02
- $315 million Mega Millions jackpot on 11/15/05
- $314.9 million Powerball jackpot on 12/25/02
Will this $300 million jackpot be next on the list? Remember, it only takes a dollar to win. Please play responsibly.
Please play responsibly
August is Responsible Gambling Education Awareness Month in Missouri, which is highly appropriate given the latest Powerball jackpot run. The Missouri Lottery is a member of the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling and works with other organizations to raise awareness, educate and assist citizens who experience problems with gambling. Some tips to remember when participating in gambling activities include:
- Remember that gambling is a form of entertainment only.
- Never borrow money to gamble, such as using a credit card.
- Gamble with money set aside for entertainment, never with money for everyday expenses.
- Don't gamble when highly stressed, depressed or troubled in any way.
The majority of citizens do gamble responsibly, but for the small number of people who experience problems, free help is available at 1-888-BETS-OFF. For more information, visit the Bets Off Web site.
The Hunt for October
As baseball season continues its march towards an October finale, at least one Missouri team is still in the hunt for post-season play. Luckily, Royals™ fans still have as much opportunity to win, possibly even more so, as Cardinals™ fans in the MLB® promotions from the Missouri Lottery. The final drawings for the "Run with the Royals™" and the "Catch the Cardinals™" promotions have been set for Oct. 4. Enter non-winning "St. Louis Cardinals™" and "Kansas City Royals™" Scratchers tickets by Tuesday, Sept. 25, to be eligible to win season tickets, luxury boxes, MLB® merchandise, and even a chance to throw out the first pitch. Top prizes are still available for each game, so players can win down the stretch, no matter which team you root for. Good luck.
Annuity or Lump-sum?
The Powerball jackpot was not hit last weekend, which means the Aug. 22 jackpot will be worth an estimated $245 million! The last big Powerball winner in Missouri was the Wilson family, who won $254 million on Jan. 24, 2007. Their winning number was the fourth combination on a $5 quick pick, which proves you don't have to spend a lot to get lucky playing Powerball.
The $245 million jackpot is based on a payout over 29 years, but players can select to take the winnings in one lump-sum payment. That option automatically reduces the jackpot by about half, so players choosing one payment if they win on Wednesday can expect approximately $114.7 million before taxes. How would you take the winnings, annuity or lump-sum?
$3 Billion!
Today the Lottery transferred more than $20 million to the Lottery Proceeds Fund, which benefits public education. That brings the total contribution to Missouri and education to more than $3 BILLION since the Lottery began in 1986. During our first six years proceeds were deposited in the state's General Revenue Fund, but in 1992, voters earmarked all of those funds to be spent on public education.
We often get questions about how the Lottery money is spent. The state legislature appropriates all funding for education, but over the years, Lottery proceeds have been used for special programs and buildings for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as the Department of Higher Education. In Episode 4 of Reel Lottery, J.W. provides a look at how some of those monies are spent. Click on your preferred format below to watch the video.
Jackpot Alert!
The Powerball jackpot just went through the roof! It's now estimated at $210 million for the Aug. 18 drawing. You might want to get your tickets early as we expect longer lines at your favorite Lottery retailer, especially in border areas that draw people from out-of-state. Remember, buying multiple tickets does not significantly improve your odds. It only takes a dollar to win. What would you do with $210 million? Good luck.
Ride like the wind
What would you think if you looked outside and saw a hot air balloon landing in your front yard? Neighbors of Barbara and Jim McDonald of California thought they won the Lottery. That's because the Lottery balloon, piloted by Jim Wolters, set down in a field outside their home in mid-July. Hot air balloons simply ride the wind and have little control over where they end up. When it comes time to land, they look for an open area and put it down. Their crew tracks the flight path and soon arrives to pick up the balloon and passengers. On that afternoon in July, three different balloons which took off in Eldon landed in open areas around the McDonald home, making for an exciting and unusual day. Unfortunately for them, that's not how we arrive to award prizes. In fact, if you win, you'll have to bring your ticket to us to claim your prize. But a balloon ride might be a fun way to spend some of those winnings...
Hat tip to the California Democrat and the McDonalds for sending us the picture.
