Michigan Lottery: Michigan Winfall to be eliminated on May 14
Winfall is heading for a downfall.
The Michigan Lotto game will end up in the grave yard of similar lottery contests and be replaced with a new game called Classic Lotto 47, said state Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters.
Winfall's last drawing will be May 14. The first drawing for the new game will be May 18, Peters said.
"We are finding that we need to change the lotto game every three years or so," Peters said. "Winfall was a very popular game, but then the interest waned."
Lottery spokesperson Andi Bracatto said Winfall's sales dropped from $1.5 million a week when Winfall started three years ago to $1 million a week now.
Lottery player Bob Bartolomucci likes the change.
"I loved that game," said Bartolomucci, a used car dealer from Clinton Township. "I had five numbers in that game and won $2,300. That's great."
Classic Lotto 47 will be played Wednesdays and Saturdays. Players will pick six numbers from 1 to 47. All six numbers win the jackpot. Five numbers pays $2,500; four numbers $100 and three numbers $5.
Peters said there will be no ceiling on the jackpot, like the Winfall game. The jackpot will roll over until it is broken. Winfall has the same secondary prizes.
Bartolomucci said a lot of people would play Winfall only when the jackpot hit $5 million and there was a mandatory payoff.
"People will play the new game because there's no ceiling," he said. Peters said the odds for Classic Lotto 47 are 1 in 47 compared to 1 in 54 for Winfall.