The Louisiana Lottery is giving players a way to have their cake and scratch it too this Mardi Gras season. For the first time ever, the Lottery’s $2 Mardi Gras scratch-off game, aptly named King Cake Cash, will feature two second-chance drawings to win a Cartozzo’s Bakery king cake each month for a year, so the revelry can continue all year long.

“For the past few years, we have partnered with Cartozzo’s to give players the chance to win king cake baking experiences at their Kenner location,” explained Lottery President Rose Hudson. “This season, we will expand that partnership to shower even more winners with Mardi Gras loot by offering second-chance drawings to win king cakes! We relish the opportunity to partner with a local business that has such deep roots in our state as Cartozzo’s.”

Players who do not win an instant prize on the $2 King Cake Cash ticket can enter it into one of two second-chance drawings. In each drawing, 10 entries will be selected to win a Cartozzo’s King Cake Club Prize to receive a large, regular king cake shipped to them each month for a year, just like the one pictured on the Lottery’s $2 King Cake Cash.

To enter, players can mail one nonwinning King Cake Cash scratch-off in an envelope no larger than 4.5” x 9.5” to the drawing address printed on the back of the ticket. Players can enter as many times as they wish, but each entry should be mailed in a separate envelope. 

Entries must be received at the drawing address by Jan. 27 to be eligible for the first drawing. The second drawing deadline will be announced once the game is closed. 

For even more king cake fun, as in previous seasons, Lottery website visitors and social media fans will be invited to enter a contest to dream up their own unique king cake flavor and submit it through the Lottery’s website promotional form Jan. 6-26. The winning entry will be selected by Cartozzo’s Bakery and the winner will receive a tour of the bakery along with the opportunity to make their dream king cake.

“We’ve been baking king cakes using my great-grandfather’s recipe for over four generations,” explained Angelo Cartozzo Jr. of Cartozzo’s Bakery. “Tradition plays a leading role in everything Mardi Gras, including king cakes, but we enjoy experimenting with new flavors, too, to add to our mix. I’m looking forward to seeing what Louisiana Lottery players come up with this time and am excited about spreading the joy that our cakes bring to Lottery players all year long!”  

In addition to the online contest, the Lottery is conducting in-store promotions through Mardi Gras at select retailers across the state to give away Cartozzo’s mini king cakes with a $10 ticket purchase. Details can be found on its website at www.louisianalottery.com/promotions.

The Lottery’s $2 scratch-off King Cake Cash launched Dec. 17, along with a second Mardi Gras-themed game, Mambo Money. The $2 game features a key-number-match play style and a “find the baby” doubler symbol to win up to $12,000, while the $1 game has top prizes of $4,000 and includes a match-3 play style.

Cartozzo's Bakery is a gourmet wholesale Kenner-based business serving the restaurant industry as well as casinos and other food service providers for over 80 years. Their products can be found in favorite local restaurants as well as steak houses, sandwich shops, seafood, and Italian restaurants around the state. The bakery’s specialty is shipping tens of thousands of king cakes around the country via online ordering year round at www.cartozzoskingcakes.com. 

Lottery ticket purchasers must be at least 21 years of age. The Lottery encourages responsible play and urges anyone or friends of anyone with a gambling problem to call toll free 1-877-770-7867 for help.  More information about the Lottery’s Mardi Gras scratch-offs, second-chance drawings and promotional contest can be found at www.louisianalottery.com/mardi-gras.