Louisiana Lottery Launches 20th Anniversary Scratch-off Games

Twenty years to the day of the start of sales for the Louisiana Lottery's very first scratch-off, the corporation will launch a trio of games that recall nostalgic artwork, themes and designs rendered with a modern twist; $5 Celebrate!, $1 Play OH! and $2 Louisiana Treasures go on sale today.

"There's just something about Louisiana that brings a smile to your face," said Lottery President Rose Hudson. "Throughout our 20-year history, Lottery scratch-offs have paid tribute to our state, not only through monetary contributions but also with names and themes that showcase our cultural treasures. Our latest launch is no exception. I think both new Lottery players and those who remember purchasing our first scratch-off game will be equally delighted with these designs and prizes."

The "hero" ticket of the collection, Celebrate!, highlights the Lottery's 20 years of bringing Louisiana "a reason to smile" and features the anniversary logo developed for use during the Lottery's 20th year of operations. The $5 game offers three top prizes of $100,000 and 15 chances to win on each ticket. 

Seasoned Lottery fans will remember Play OH!, a popular game from 1992 and its accompanying jingle that positioned the Lottery as a fun, culturally expressive pastime. The 2011 edition contains duplicate artwork and colors as the original ticket, but with a top prize of $2,000 and a smaller print run of about 2 million tickets.

Utilizing the same name as the first scratch-off in 1991, the 2011 version of Louisiana Treasures takes inspiration from 20 years of Louisiana-themed games. Each $2 ticket in the six-scene set showcases artwork from previous scratch-off games that have highlighted our way of life in Louisiana -- from food and festivals to wildlife and transportation.  With a $20,000 top prize that is nearly double what is typical for a $2 game, Louisiana Treasures is sure to be a welcomed surprise for players familiar with scratch-off prize structures.

"The newest version of Louisiana Treasures takes a unique direction artistically," explained Lottery Art Director Dwain Richard who designed the game. "The game celebrates Louisiana culture by tying in artwork from past tickets. That was the biggest challenge -- finding a way to pull together so many different icons and art styles into one ticket to make it look natural."

Because art was lifted from tickets designed within the past 20 years before computer generated graphics were used, many designs had to be redrawn by hand, then digitally scanned for placement into the multi-scene ticket art. 

As a result of the rich history surrounding these games, the Lottery plans to promote interest by hosting trivia contests and conducting giveaways through its social media sites, including Twitter and Facebook, as well as through its online players club, Club Lotteaux.

"Over the past 20 years, technology has improved both the ticket printing process and the efficiency of our drawing methods, allowing for more game choices than ever. But one thing that hasn't changed is the Lottery's dedication to its mission to raise revenue for Louisiana while upholding the highest degree of public trust," noted Hudson. "Just wrapping up our second most successful year ever, we know Louisiana Lottery tickets continue to be as exciting today as their first day on sale, Sept. 6, 1991."

Since its inception, the Lottery has transferred more than $2.4 billion to the state to support K-12 public education and paid more than $3 billion to lucky Louisiana Lottery winners, including 14 Louisiana Powerball jackpot winners and more than 200 Lotto jackpot winners.

At least 35 percent of every ticket sale goes to benefit Louisiana, which is the highest transfer requirement of any lottery in the nation. At least fifty percent of sales is reserved to pay prizes. Retailers earn five percent commission and the Lottery retains less than 10 percent to fund its own operations. 

The launch of the Lottery's anniversary games is the culmination of a year-long celebration, which involved special promotions and player-focused activities.

In February, the Lottery utilized its Facebook fan page and players club to give away Mardi Gras parade rides in the Krewe of Thor in Metairie. Michael Tebbe of New Orleans and Susan Shea of Baton Rouge were selected as winners in the promotion.

The Lottery also brought back its popular raffle game with a new twist that featured five bonus drawings to win $20,000 in addition to offering the Lottery's best odds to win $1 million in a finale drawing on May 12. 

That game was followed by the Lottery's 20th Anniversary T-Shirt Design Contest, with a design by Cindy and Valerie Strecker of Slidell chosen by Lottery Facebook fans as the winning artwork for the corporation's anniversary T-shirt.  Other finalists in the contest were Kim Stilger of Kenner and Jeff Welborn of Shreveport, who each received a $500 prize.

More information on the Louisiana Lottery's anniversary activities and a look back at its 20-year history can be found on its website www.louisianalottery.com/20Years. The Lottery can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/louisianalottery and Twitter at www.twitter.com/LALottery.