To avoid confusion with Mega Millions
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) announced MegaMatch 6 will end with the Tuesday, December 29 drawing.
The MegaMatch 6 rolling jackpot game has enjoyed a successful run for nearly two years, generating more than $24 million in sales and over $16 million in prizes.
"MegaMatch 6 has been a vital part of our family of games," said Paula Harper Bethea, SCEL's Executive Director. "These games are fun but are primarily designed to raise money for education. And that is what we did with MM6."
Players can still purchase MegaMatch 6 tickets up until 6:45 p.m. before the December 29 drawing, which takes place at 6:59 p.m. Winning ticket holders have 180 days from the drawing date to claim their prizes.
MegaMatch 6 is ending to avoid any potential confusion among players when SCEL launches the new multi-state game, Mega Millions, in late January.
After all valid winning tickets have been claimed and paid, any remaining funds from the MegaMatch 6 game will be transferred to the Education Lottery Account and used to support educational initiatives in the Palmetto State.
Since the Lottery's inception in 2002, the General Assembly has appropriated more than $2.2 billion for educational purposes through fiscal year 2010.
It looks like the writing's on the wall for a lot of lotto games in states that are adding MM or PB next year. My state (TN) is dropping theirs, though I won't miss it because it's computer generated and I seldom played because of that. I would have liked to also had a lotto game along with the addition of MM here next year but only with a true ball machine drawing.
I can't believe the states are really going to do this.
The loser here of course is New Hampshire lottery because
I'll never have to make the 45 minute trip up there. I dont even
see myself buying Mega Millions any more because of the magic of PowerBalls' Powerplay.
Hurray for powerplay!!
"After all valid winning tickets have been claimed and paid, any remaining funds from the MegaMatch 6 game will be transferred to the Education Lottery Account and used to support educational initiativesin the Palmetto State."
If there is no 6 of 6 winner in the final draw what happens to that prize?
I, for one am DELIGHTED about this rip-off game shutting down. I've lost WAAAAAY more playing this $5.00 game than pick 3 or pick 4. They claim the odds are better, but I never saw that.
This is really crummy beyond belief of SC Education Lottery!!!! If they choose to shut down the game that is fine, but the jackpot was around 1.3 something million as of the last draw. I believe this is probably one of the largest jackpots that had ever accumulated under Mega Match 6. Seems awful convenient to me that this huge jackpot accumulated and then there were NO WINNERS for all of these weeks and there will be NO SECOND CHANCE DRAWINGS or the like. They are just going to stuff it in their (SCEL's) pocket, so to speak, and walk away with it and to he- - with the people who were playing it!!!!
SCEL has something close to ZERO CREDIBILITY with me at this moment and I am seriously considering not buying any more tickets of any type or playing any of their games. I don't know if this is the doing of the new overpaid head of SCEL, a board, or whatever but it stinks.
How convenient that the State of SC needs money really badly and that there are no jackpot winners for weeks upon weeks and now they just pocket the money and walk away. YEAH RIGHT!!!!
I hope all of their sales fall off drastically because of this very suspect and likely very dishonest move on SCEL's part!
I have to agree on the point about them keeping the jackpot money.
People bought tickets on good faith that that money would be awarded and now they say sorry, the game's over, we're keeping the money?
That ain't right.
There should be a second chance drawing or the game continued until that jackpot is awarded.
Players should be raising hell in SC.