Louisiana Lottery Reports More Than $107 Million in Winnings

02/08/08 Louisiana Lottery Reports More Than $107 Million in Winnings

During January Louisiana Lottery more Than $7.3 Million Claimed from Scratch-Off Tickets During January
The Louisiana Lottery Corporation reported more than $107 million in winning tickets for its draw-style games during January, highlighted by one Powerball jackpot-winning ticket worth $97,000,000, two Lotto jackpot-winning tickets worth $375,000 each and four Easy 5 jackpot-winning tickets worth amounts ranging from $25,000 to $100,521. Also during the same month, scratch-off players claimed more than $7.3 million in cash prizes.
January's winning draw-style tickets totaled $107,394,099, which also included two Powerball prizes of $200,000 each, 10 Powerball prizes of $10,000 each, 152 "match-5" Lotto prizes averaging $1,781 and Pick 3 prizes totaled $2,083,610.

For the first time since the Louisiana Lottery launched Pick 4 in March 1999, more than $1.6 million was won when the numbers 5-5-5-5 were randomly selected for the Jan. 27 drawing. As a result, Pick 4 prizes totaled $3,352,800 for the month of January.
Easy 5 prizes totaled $422,564 with an additional $334,823 won in ezmatch prizes. For an additional $1, players can add ezmatch to their Easy 5 ticket for the chance to win up to $250 instantly. Lottery draw-style game players have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their winnings.
"Last month, more than 25,000 Power Play purchasers won a bonus total of $1,101,765 in addition to their regular Powerball prize. This included one player who multiplied her prize by five to win $1 million," Lottery President Rose Hudson said. For an additional $1, the Power Play option offers Powerball ticket purchasers the chance to multiply any nonjackpot-related prize up to five times depending upon the Power Play multiplier number randomly selected during the drawing.
In addition to the $7,321,342 in scratch-off cash prizes paid during January, players also claimed $1,293,287 worth of free tickets. Scratch-off players have 90 days from the official game closure date to claim a winning ticket.
While actual game performance and the amount of prizes claimed will vary from month to month, the Lottery allocates at least 50 percent of sales to fund prizes, with 35 percent of sales transferred to the state treasury for the Minimum Foundation Program that funds public education in Louisiana. Retailers are paid at least 5 percent in commission and the Lottery retains less than 10 percent of sales to operate.
"We encourage players to sign the back of their tickets immediately after purchasing and to check them promptly after the drawing. Even if a ticket doesn't win the jackpot, it might possibly have won a smaller prize," Hudson added.

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