PDF of news release

Media-ready jpeg of Holiday Millionaire Raffle artwork

DATE: October 16, 2009
CONTACT: Sally Lunsford (785) 296-5708, sally.lunsford@kslottery.net

Raffle-mania Sweeping Kansas;
Sales Start 5 a.m. October 18

TOPEKA, KAN. – Raffle-mania is sweeping Kansas as players line up to purchase their Holiday Millionaire Raffle tickets in hopes of becoming a millionaire on New Year’s Eve. Tickets go on sale at Lottery retailers throughout the state starting at 5:00 a.m. Sunday, October 18.

The Holiday Millionaire Raffle is the first ever raffle offered by the Kansas Lottery and it comes with the best chances the Lottery has ever offered of winning a million dollars at 1 in 150,000. There are also other amounts available to win in this Kansas-only game, including five $50,000 prizes and five hundred $500 prizes. Raffle tickets cost $20 each.

Kansas Lottery retailers and players are gearing up for the game, big-time.

Approximately 20 patrons of The Bar in Kanopolis are each putting in $20 and pooling their money to buy raffle tickets. The Bar doesn’t open until noon on Sunday, but the owner is coming in early to take care of his players.

“Our players are so worried that all the tickets will be sold out by noon that my husband is coming in at 5:00 a.m. to print the tickets, just to make sure they’ll get them,” said owner Erin Vopat.

Trappers Bar & Grill in Simpson, Kan., and Big’s Bar & Grill in Wichita are among the Lottery retailers taking that a step further. They’re normally closed on Sundays, but this Sunday they’ll be open to give their players a chance to be among the first buying raffle tickets.

“My customers want to get their tickets right away, and I don’t want to miss out on it myself,” said Tony Prochaska, owner of Trappers Bar & Grill.

“I’m really making it an occasion,” said Juanita Albert, owner of Big’s Bar & Grill. “We’re having a special breakfast early Sunday morning so people can come in, get their raffle tickets, and enjoy a nice meal.”

While some players will play as part of a pool, Sunrise Amoco in Wichita has one player who plans to buy $500 worth of raffle tickets all by himself.

“He called the Lottery offices to find out if there was any limit on the number of tickets he could buy, and found out he could get as many as he wants,” said store owner Smimtiaz Siddique. “We’re going to ring up $500 in tickets for him as soon as sales start Sunday morning.”

At Pumpin’ Pete’s Cherry Hill Express in Cherryvale, manager Ruby Mansfield thinks the raffle game will sell out in just a few days. She’s bringing in extra clerks to handle the anticipated flood of ticket buyers Sunday morning.

“I have one player who I know is going to buy a couple of thousand dollars worth of tickets,” Mansfield said. “It’s going to be crazy.”

Ella Dankenbring, assistant manager at CJ Express in Marysville, isn’t spending hundreds or thousands, but she does plan to get in on the action.

“I’m getting one raffle ticket with my boyfriend, another with a long-time friend I play lottery with, and a third with a co-worker and one of the truck drivers who delivers here,” Dankenbring said. “Just like our customers, I’m excited because the chances of winning are so good.”

The Lottery is holding kick-off promotions at CJ Express and a slew of other retailers throughout the state starting next week. For a list of all promotion locations, go to http://www.kslottery.com/Promotions/OnTheRoad.htm.

Sales for the Holiday Millionaire Raffle will end on December 30, 2009, if the game is not already sold out by then. Players should sign their tickets and keep them in a safe place until the drawing. The raffle drawing will occur on December 31, 2009. Players must retain their original Holiday Millionaire Raffle tickets to claim a prize!

Players will be able to keep track of Raffle sales on the Kansas Lottery website www.kslottery.com where a Raffle “Piggy Bank” will fill up as tickets are sold. The Piggy Bank will be updated daily.

Numerous calls and e-mails continue to pour into Kansas Lottery offices as the start of the Holiday Millionaire Raffle nears.

“I just got off the phone with a woman who wanted to know where the 24-hour-a-day retailers are in her area, so she can get in line for her ticket at 5:00 a.m. Sunday,” said Lottery Customer Liaison Karie Lowe. “And I’ve had lots of calls like that!”

“No doubt about it, players are really excited about the raffle,” said Lottery Communications Director Sally Lunsford. “Will that translate into a super quick sell-out? We’ll find out starting Sunday morning.”

As with any lottery game, the Kansas Lottery reminds players to sign their tickets, put them in a safe place and play responsibly.