Ohio Lottery's new game three months without jackpot winner

Jan 9, 2006, 7:01 am (23 comments)

Ohio Lottery

The Ohio Lottery's newest game, which replaced Super Lotto Plus in October, has gone three months without a jackpot winner and some players and sellers think the 100-number, bingo-style Lot 'O Play game is too complicated.

"The game is mind-boggling," Alonzo Adams, 52, of Cleveland, said Friday outside a busy lottery outlet.
That's the reaction Elizabeth Bost gets from lottery players from her vantage point at a gift shop in New Paris northwest of Dayton. "There's too many numbers," she said.

The Lot 'O Play jackpot began at $1 million when the $2 game originated in October and grew each Wednesday and Saturday without a winner. The jackpot for Saturday night's drawing was $8.7 million.

The game, similar to a bingo card, has 25 numbers from 00 to 99. To win the jackpot, a player must have all five selected numbers in a line horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Four numbers in a line wins $1,000, three wins $10 and two wins $2.

The player selects the five numbers across the top row and the lottery computer selects the rest. The player also can let the computer pick all 25 numbers.

Marie Kilbane, a lottery spokeswoman, said the lottery had no forecast when it developed the game of how often a jackpot winner might emerge. "We're definitely looking forward to that first winner," she said Friday.

She said three months might be too soon to judge a game's acceptance but said the lottery was considering a promotional program in the spring to boost it.

With 25 numbers and a matrix that might be unfamiliar to people who don't play bingo, "We're certainly testing new ground in this game," she said.

The lottery sales force has worked with agents and players to explain the game and make sure informational brochures are available at sales outlets, Kilbane said.

Lot 'O Play generated more profits in its initial October-December period compared with Super Lotto profits for October-December 2004, and would have earned more even if there had been a jackpot winner, Kilbane said.

While sales dipped from $27.7 million in Super Lotto wagers in October-December 2004 to the $20.5 million in Lot 'O Play sales for October-December 2005, profits increased from $7.9 million to $14.4 million. Even if there had been a jackpot winner, the lottery still would have earned $9.2 million, up 16 percent.

The lottery may need time to let the game get established, if the experience of lottery seller Krissi Swiger in Salem south of Youngstown is any indication.

"The customer base just does not seem really happy with it," she said Friday from Kendrick's Corner Carryout. "It's a $2 play and nobody's won it yet. That's a big drawback."

In Cleveland, Byron Arnold, 37, has stuck with the game even though he hasn't gotten past the $2 payoff for two numbers - a flat return on his $2 investment.

"It's so-so," he said. "I really can't say I hate it. I mean, I like the game. I at least win my money back six out of seven times," he said.

Arnold thinks the game may be too hard to play but believes the growing jackpot will resolve any questions. "When somebody wins it, it will be a big payday for somebody," he said.

Kilbane said a popular feature of the Lot 'O Play game is a $10 instant payout for every 100th ticket sold statewide.

AP

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Todd's avatarTodd

This article states what I have been saying for a long time.  State lotteries should always maintain simple, classic lotto-style games, rather than making these complicated games their bread-and-butter.

If they want to add games like Lot 'O Play, do not replace classic lotto games with them, just add them to the lineup.

Bradly_60's avatarBradly_60

How is this game complicated?  It's bingo.  If you don't understand bingo.....well that just pretty bad.  It's a jackpot style game with incredible odds what are they 1 in 6.  If this game is to complicated for people to understand then we are a failing society. haha

Brad

jeffrey's avatarjeffrey

I just have to post. The Ohio lottery wants profits, not winners. That has been its history and my experience. They reduced the initial jackpot from 4 mil to 1 mil and the increments from at least 1 mil to 100,000 thousand. Congrats Ohio lottery, I go to Indiana and Kentucky for lotto now.

Todd's avatarTodd

How is this game complicated?  It's bingo.  If you don't understand bingo.....well that just pretty bad.  It's a jackpot style game with incredible odds what are they 1 in 6.  If this game is to complicated for people to understand then we are a failing society. haha

Brad

Brad,

You'd be surprised how games can seem very complicated for people who do not regularly play the lottery.  The lottery needs to have games that are so simple that anyone can walk up and instantly understand how to play -- not just the people who take a few minutes to learn it.

I'm not saying that Bingo-style games should be eliminated.  I'm saying that they should always have simple classic-style lotto games supplemented with more complex games.

Hopefully the lottery directors are listening.  They always say "lottery players ask us to create games with more ways to win", etc., etc., but most of the people who play their games are not the ones responding to their surveys.

Casual players understand what "Lotto" is, but what the heck is a "Lot 'O Play"?!

Hammer1

  Lot 'O Play 

If you want this game to goway then don't play it and if you still play it you are

STUPID  STUPID STUPID 

 

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

How is this game complicated?  It's bingo.  If you don't understand bingo.....well that just pretty bad.  It's a jackpot style game with incredible odds what are they 1 in 6.  If this game is to complicated for people to understand then we are a failing society. haha

Brad

Where's the market research that says their problems are because the game is too complicated? Maybe people just don't like this particular lottery game.

The 1 in 6 chance of winning gets you you're purchase price back, but that just  means you didn't lose money, not that you won. There's still an 83% chance that you'll lose your money. That's better than a lot of games, but where's the upside compared to other game choices? The game has rolled over for 3 months and the jackpot has only grown to 8.7 million? How many people are going to buy a $2 tickets for a game like that when for $1 they can play megamillions or powerball and have a chance at two to thirty times that much? Yeah, I know the odds are a lot steeper, but I don't think many people make their choice based on that. That's why a lot of states have dumped their5 of n or 6 of n lotto games since they added the bigger games.

The way the game works you aren't really picking all of your own numbers, so maybe some  people don't like that. The 5 numbers that you do get to pick only account for 1 of the 12 possibilities for winning the jackpot. The other 11 are quick picks that use 1 of your 5 choices. It's a safe bet that anybody who understands that and wants to pick their own numbers isn't likely to play this game.

Finally, what's with the bit about the lottery's profit being higher because there hasn't been a jackpot winner yet? Does that mean that they aren't rolling over the entire jackpot to the next game, or does it mean they're spewing some accounting BS and claiming the jackpot money as a profit until they actually pay it out?

RJOh's avatarRJOh

I just have to post. The Ohio lottery wants profits, not winners. That has been its history and my experience. They reduced the initial jackpot from 4 mil to 1 mil and the increments from at least 1 mil to 100,000 thousand. Congrats Ohio lottery, I go to Indiana and Kentucky for lotto now.

I Agree!
I think players who want to understand the game understand it and the casual players who don't care to understand the game and are only interested in the jackpot size play MegaMillions instead. 

When the jackpot get big enough these players will probably start playing the game. I don't play the game now but I might when the jackpot gets to $20M+.

Ohio not only want to make money with its games, it wants to keep the Ohio players playing in Ohio.  When the Indiana and Kentucky lotteries have a few winners from Ohio, Ohio will change its games accordingly.

CASH Only

I'm guessing that once the jackpot gets hit, there will be a steep drop in sales, and that OH will pull the plug shortly thereafter.

GrassHopper35

I don't like this game because you can't pick all of your own numbers.

Think's avatarThink

How is this game complicated?  It's bingo.  If you don't understand bingo.....well that just pretty bad.  It's a jackpot style game with incredible odds what are they 1 in 6.  If this game is to complicated for people to understand then we are a failing society. haha

Brad

Brad,

You'd be surprised how games can seem very complicated for people who do not regularly play the lottery.  The lottery needs to have games that are so simple that anyone can walk up and instantly understand how to play -- not just the people who take a few minutes to learn it.

I'm not saying that Bingo-style games should be eliminated.  I'm saying that they should always have simple classic-style lotto games supplemented with more complex games.

Hopefully the lottery directors are listening.  They always say "lottery players ask us to create games with more ways to win", etc., etc., but most of the people who play their games are not the ones responding to their surveys.

Casual players understand what "Lotto" is, but what the heck is a "Lot 'O Play"?!

Gah! If they cant understand a game like this then I guess I know why they cant understand that withholdings and actual taxes owed are two different things!

 

A short history -

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005921.html

cps10's avatarcps10

It seems like an unwinnable and boring game to play. I am with Todd, don't replace traditional games, just supplement them. I would be willing to bet that hardly any of the die-hards that played SuperLotto Plus are playing Lot O' Play now. They have just shifted their money to MM. I go into the Meijer in Springfield, and in the past, there were lines to play SLP. But now, there are nothing but bored-stiff ticket operators ready to go crazy because nobody is buying tickets.

LckyLary

It looks like fun, I wish they had it in nj, but I don't like most of the board being quick-picks. I guess that's only because it would be a bugger to fill out a bet slip with 25 numbers plus saying where the numbers should be on the board.

NoCompLotto!

I'm not going to say I don't like this game, because I do (somehow, I win at least $10 every time I play), but the people who are just coming up to the counter for an impulse buy are going to take one look at the advertising material for it and say "the hell with it." People who are in a rush plop a buck down on the counter and expect to get a ticket. When the clerk says "You need $2 to play this game" that person will probably say "Well, give me a MM ticket instead" and that will end up being the demise of the game. Not too many people want to play a $2 game with odds of over 75M to 1 with a jackpot that doesn't rise by more than $300,000 a draw. The Ohio Lottery should have used some of those profits from the game to make the jackpot BIGGER and MORE ATTRACTIVE!!! $14.4M in profits = possible $16M jackpot today! They know better!

Every OL game I have seen seems to know what the players want... except this one. I have talked to a few people who live in OH and play often, and they say it seems like a game you just can't win. I am inclined to agree. IMHO, no matter how you look at it, your odds are over 75M to 1. Regardless of how much the OL wants to portray this game as "easy to win," and having odds of only 6.2M to 1, IT ISN'T!!

Hopefully, on my next visit south of the border, I'll pick up a few tix and be the first jackpot winner... an out-of-stater. Hmmm... don't think that would go over too well with the Ohio population, but hey, I played and they didn't. Their loss. Big Grin

Todd's avatarTodd

How is this game complicated?  It's bingo.  If you don't understand bingo.....well that just pretty bad.  It's a jackpot style game with incredible odds what are they 1 in 6.  If this game is to complicated for people to understand then we are a failing society. haha

Brad

Brad,

You'd be surprised how games can seem very complicated for people who do not regularly play the lottery.  The lottery needs to have games that are so simple that anyone can walk up and instantly understand how to play -- not just the people who take a few minutes to learn it.

I'm not saying that Bingo-style games should be eliminated.  I'm saying that they should always have simple classic-style lotto games supplemented with more complex games.

Hopefully the lottery directors are listening.  They always say "lottery players ask us to create games with more ways to win", etc., etc., but most of the people who play their games are not the ones responding to their surveys.

Casual players understand what "Lotto" is, but what the heck is a "Lot 'O Play"?!

Gah! If they cant understand a game like this then I guess I know why they cant understand that withholdings and actual taxes owed are two different things!

 

A short history -

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005921.html

Most people don't understand taxes, so what's your point?

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