Your trash can might enjoy the new game from the state lottery more than your wallet.
The Colorado Lottery unveiled its first scented scratch game today, the latest in a marketing strategy for gaming more reliant on gimmicks than payouts.
In May, there was Pac-Man. Now there will be coffee, chocolate and bouquet scented tickets.
But will patrons care how their ticket smells?
Erika Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the Colorado Lottery, thinks people will bite, especially women.
"With scratch games, customers often play for entertainment and not just to win money," she said.
This might explain the $3.5 million the scratch Pac-Man made in just over a month.
In comparison, a more generic scratch game called Mountains of Money made about half a million less despite a release date nearly 10 months earlier with a cheaper ticket price.
Gonzalez attributed the Pac-Man figure to nostalgia among longtime fans of the arcade game.
However, the top prize for Pac-Man is $60,000 greater, offering a six-figure payout.
Regardless, scratch games are big business, taking in $297.1 million last year in Colorado.
With their latest strategy, lottery organizers want to tap into a niche of women, who make up 70 percent of crossword game sales, perhaps the most popular scratch game.
"For some reason, women are flocking to the word games, and we wanted to give them another incentive to play," Gonzalez said.
Thus, the inclusion of the bouquet-scented ticket, she added.
Scratch games are a different beast than the Lotto, where players have one clear goal - jackpot.
Payouts are more frequent but not as lucrative with scratch games. Instead, players receive winning odds as low as 1 in 3 and get a more interactive experience.
You can play Deal or No Deal, scratch off Indiana Jones or hope pigs can fly.
Take 40-year-old Anthony Archulata, head down and furiously scratching tickets at a Platte Avenue 7-Eleven on Friday.
"I've been wasting my time on these things since they came out," he said. "You could spend your money on a lot worse things and it's easier to break even."
Does he need a little whiff with his diversion?
"I've played them all, but that's just wrong," he said.
Maybe the scratch-and-sniff crossword really is a woman's game.
Thanks to ThatScaryChick for the tip.
I can see people hanging their used scratch tickets from their rear-view mirrors, instead of the cardboard pine trees.
not with that big and bold NOT A WINNER/TRY AGAIN/NEXT TIME note printed on it
anyway, i still think that scratch offs are -->
's
So now they all will know what defeat smells like, yes defeat not defeet though what if they did smell like feet? O_o
Hopefully they only put up the losing tickets.
I don’t think I would be smelling my ticket, especially after some young sweaty kid behind the counter just wiped his head and then tore off my tickets, which is what you see a lot of around here LOL! I’m not putting my nose up to that!
I wonder if they are not up to something. They say snack makers put things in the snacks that will actually make you eat more. Also I seen a program on TV about smells and sexual arousal. They say the smell of the candy Good N Plenty aroused both sexes. Hummmmmm maybe a smell to entice you to buy more tickets
Gee>>>>God>>>>"almighty^^^ dollar"^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^$$$
IT can't get any BETTER than THI$$$$$$$$$$$$
I would like to $TUFF my $ELECT CONFORT with ALL deassssssssssssssss
SMELLY>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TICKEt's.........Thank's 2 U "BIG BROTHER" $$
BUT,.....THANK's 2 thee LOTTERY POST>>>>TOO>>>>>>>>>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW do YOU come-up with ALL this entertainment>>>>>>>NEW'ssssss?
LOL
PSYKOMO
Psykomo - you have a Select Comfort? Maybe all Lottery players need to have a sleep number bed. LOL I wouldn't suggest cutting it open & stuffing it, since it's an air mattress!
I'm glad we don't have scratch & sniff tickets in Florida. Between the mosquitos, no-seeums, fire ants and all the pollen, all I ever do is scratch & sniff. So I'd probably just be blowing my money away, and that's nothing to sneeze at.
TRANSLATION:
I've scratch'ed & sniff'ed ALL my LIFE & (FAUGHT) off all the PEST TOO !!!!!
but, THANK's for all the G@@D GULL's......in the WORLD........>>>>>>>>>>
a pur BOUY will .............(surive) ...............if we donot RUN out of GULL' sss
THAT KAN PUT-UP^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^with US???
LOL
PSYKOMO
Gee what a waste of time, smelly losing tickets.... only the winning ticket will have best smell..... for the ladies they should have scratch off for winning new shoes that would a great seller my wife would say.
Maryland lottery has the Dubble Bubble scratcher for some time now smells just like the Gum
Surprised they don't have one that smells like money. How about that new car smell?
I think the whole thing is silly. Maybe they should put some nutritional value in the tickets. The way the economy is going, if they made them edible, then at least when you lose you could eat your tickets.
yes number do hit u but it gotta be away to beat the system, man com on Big J.
slowrolln66 need to hit the number babe in Wa. Vancouver Isaaaaaaaaaaiah646Lol.