California Lottery: The Force is strong in California
Californians can be the first in the nation to try their luck with the release of the new collectible Star Wars Scratchers lottery ticket.
In conjunction with the arrival of the most anticipated theatrical release in history, Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, the California State Lottery will be the first lottery in the nation to debut Star Wars Scratchers tickets.
These tickets depict the epic battle between the Sith, with images of Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Darth Maul, and the Jedi with images of Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Luke Skywalker, as well as the forbidden love of Anakin Skywalker and Padme.
"Everyone's favorite characters are on the tickets, including Chewbacca, Han Solo, C-3PO, and R2-D2," said Chon Gutierrez, Interim Lottery Director. "The scenes make these tickets an instant collector's item."
The Scratchers tickets will be released statewide in April in advance of the worldwide release of the movie on May 19, 2005.
"Californians can enjoy the excitement of a great looking Scratchers ticket combined with a chance at winning up to $10,000,"said Gutierrez.
Diehard Star Wars fans, now in their 30's who were first introduced to the phenomenon in the 70's, wait in anticipation for the final piece of the story featuring the emergence of Darth Vader. Each episode of the Star Wars saga is represented by two tickets with screen shots and characters from it; including the AT-AT walkers and Star Destroyers from The Empire Strikes Back and what promises to be the most epic battle ever between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi from Revenge of the Sith. The California Lottery will also be offering a limited release of exclusive collectible Star Wars coins.
The Star Wars Scratchers tickets cost $2.
"The popularity of the Star Wars saga is sure to make this ticket a big hit with our players, I'm sure many people will want to collect all 12," said Gutierrez.