Lotto America multi-state lottery game tickets on sale Sunday

Nov 10, 2017, 10:15 am (36 comments)

Lotto America

New game replaces canceled Hot Lotto

By Todd Northrop

What's old is new again.

Ripping a page from the 1980s, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is starting a new game on Sunday called Lotto America — the original name of what is now known as Powerball.

The throwback name is probably a good idea, since the new game has the difficult task of helping people forget the tumultuous ending to Hot Lotto, the game it replaces.

Fortunately for lottery players, not only does the new game deliver a bevy of appealing game options at a low $1 price point, but unlike the outgoing Hot Lotto game, Lotto America utilizes real lottery ball drawings, boosting players' confidence that the drawings won't be rigged.

Lotto America will feature jackpots that start at $2 million, with drawings on Wednesday and Saturday nights. The new game begins sales Sunday, Nov. 12, and its first drawing will be Nov. 15.

In addition to the jackpot there are eight other lower-tier prizes ranging from $2 up to $20,000.  Plus, a multiplier add-on feature called All Star Bonus can multiply non-jackpot prizes by up to 5 times.  All Star Bonus costs an additional $1 per play.

"As we were researching new game possibilities there was one name that kept coming up, so we decided to go vintage," explained Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich. "After 25 years, Lotto America is making a comeback, with new features for today's players."

Lotto America players will still find the play style of Powerball, with numbers selected from two separate pools for a chance at a big prize. Players in the game will choose five numbers from a pool of 52 and another number, called the "Lotto America Star Ball" from a pool of 10. Players who match all six numbers selected in a drawing will win the game's jackpot.

The odds of winning the jackpot in Lotto America will be around 1 in 26 million, compared to odds of about 1 in 292.2 million of winning the Powerball jackpot and odds of about 1 in 302.6 million of winning the Mega Millions jackpot under that game's new design.

"Players are looking for something new with exciting prizes. This new game offers a $2 million starting jackpot, at a ticket cost of just a buck," said David Barden, New Mexico Lottery CEO. "Mega Millions moved to $2 on October 28th, so the $1 Lotto America game fills the much-welcomed $1 price point."

Lotto America drawings will be held every Wednesday and Saturday, conducted by the Multi-State Lottery Association after 11 p.m. Eastern Time in Tallahassee, Florida. The drawings will not be televised.

The Lotto America drawings will each feature two mechanical ball-drawing machines — the first containing 52 balls and the second containing 10 balls. Five balls will be selected from the first machine, and the Lotto America Star Ball will be drawn from the second machine.

The initial advertised jackpot for the first drawing will be $15 million, as the result of there being no Grand Prize winner in the final Hot Lotto drawing.

All of the 14 states the sold the Hot Lotto game will be participating in Lotto America, although New Hampshire will not begin selling the game until January 2018. The thirteen lotteries that will offer the Lotto America game when sales begin on Sunday are: Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Dakota and West Virginia.

Jackpot winners will have the option to be paid in annuitized payments over 29 years (30 payments) or as a one-time, lump-sum cash payment.

The complete payout structure is shown below.

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Redd55

How can they call it Lotto America if only 14 states are eligible to play?  Disapprove

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Throwback names make it so difficult for historians to separate out original information from throwback information (ie: Lotto America, Lotto America 2, Lotto America 3, etc.)

lejardin's avatarlejardin

Well I like the idea of the real ball drawings, the $1 price tag and much better odds than the big jackpot games even though the jackpots wont reach the massive prize amounts.

noise-gate

Quote: Originally posted by Redd55 on Nov 10, 2017

How can they call it Lotto America if only 14 states are eligible to play?  Disapprove

Fat chance of that game ever reaching the West coast.

rca1952

US FlagSo, here we go again! They already are showing how dishonest the game is by "NOT" putting the drawing on T.V.!!! I will only buy one ticket but until I can see the drawings!!!...........

MonEl

"The odds of winning the jackpot in Lotto America will be around 1 in 26 million"

Yet jackpots will start at only $2 million.

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In addition to the jackpot there are eight other lower-tier prizes ranging from $2 up to $20,000.

Yet there are 2,598,960 or maybe so possible combinations for the 5/52 main balls, those numbers might be wrong, but still more than 2 million combinations for the 5 main balls, when they only pay $20,000.

That is less than 1/100 of the total possible combinations.

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Like with all lottery games, payouts are not in proportion to the odds of the game.

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Same as always, the house always wins and wins huge.

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Players never have a chance!

Games are of course made so the house always wins very big and people can only win by chance and win little.

But of course, you are not forced to play, people play by either entertainment and or greed.

Needy people should get a job instead of playing, unless of course you are playing with money that others give to you and you don't really need that money, such as homeless people do.

Many homeless people buy lottery tickets, not to mention tobacco and beer, after all, they are buying such with money given to them.

Here on Texas we have some lottery games that you would need to be a baboon to buy, but I should not say that, I don't want to offend baboons, after all they are people and they are intelligent in their own way.

And they are cute!

Be kind to "animals", they are also people.

noise-gate

Whoa-just because some primates can walk upright for some time, that does not make them people. The only time you will find some donning a pair of pants,is if they in a circus. A pair of pants,without a wallet, or loose change.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by lejardin on Nov 10, 2017

Well I like the idea of the real ball drawings, the $1 price tag and much better odds than the big jackpot games even though the jackpots wont reach the massive prize amounts.

Original DC Lotto America, only time I hit for anything 'good' for $114 just before leaving for Deutschland back in '88.  Never did anything like that on PB or MM.  Man does that bring back memories.

ieatdirt

They should have kept the "tax withholding paid" aspect of Hot Lotto which was about it's only redeeming quality.

Ron5995

Firstly, the game is a rip off!

As to why. Look at the odds. 1 in 25,989,600 for jackpot that will likely be single to maybe double-digit millions at best. Worse, it's an annuity. Yep, that $2 million starting jackpot isn't really $2 million. The actual value is more closer to 60% of the advertised amount. $1.2 million or so to start. 1 in ~26 million to win that. Crazy!

To be fair, due to no one hitting the final Hot Lotto jackpot, it appears the initial starting Lotto America jackpot will be $15 million annuity. So not as bad, relatively speaking.

2nd place is terrible too. 1 in 2,887,733 to win $20,000. In contrast, Powerball odds (1 in 1,826,258 when adjusted for $2 price) winning $50,000 is still better. Even if one ponies up the extra dollar for Lotto multiplier, Lotto America still comes up short much of the time.

Another aspect is the payback percentage. I couldn't find the exact percentage anywhere, and not in the mood to calculate it. Since the number isn't mentioned, likely around 50% or so similar to Powerball and Mega Millions. Further compounds the rip off.

As for no televised drawing, not enough demand for that. My sense is the Lotto America game is a flash in the pan and won't last. They're reinventing an inferior version of the former $1 per ticket Mega Millions. Maybe I'm way off, and Lotto America will be a hit, but highly doubt it. Time will tell.

Lotologist

I'm glad they rolled over the majority of the Jackpot not won from the last Hot Lotto draw. I was afraid that money would just get pocketed by each of the participating states.

In response to previous posts in no particular order, Lotto America is not in the whole country, but the name will entice future states who will participate in the game. Yes, the starting jackpot is extremely low, but at least it will start at $15 million from the $13 million rollover money. It is worth playing until the first jackpot is won.

I intend on playing the game, along with the record-breakin jackpot, but unpopular game of Multi-Win Lotto when I make my way to the Delaware border on Sunday.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

DC had hot lotto. I have not heard of this game for DC.

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

Lotto*America  was the first lottery game offered by the  Multi-State Lottery Association  (MUSL). It was replaced in 1992 by Powerball, which, along with Mega Millions, are MUSL's flagship games.

In 1987, six states and the  District of Columbia  banded together, since, on their own, they could not create jackpots into the tens of millions of dollars that had become commonplace in the most populous lottery states. MUSL's first game was called "Lotto*America" even though only those seven jurisdictions took part, although technically it could be played on both the  East Coast  and  West Coast. The first Lotto*America drawing was in 1988.

Lotto*America lasted until April 1992, when it was replaced with Powerball. MUSL held the rights to the  Lotto America  name; a new version of the game will be launched on November 12, 2017 with the first drawing three days later. The new Lotto*America will replace the scandal-driven  Hot Lotto  game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotto_America

GiveFive's avatarGiveFive

Quote: Originally posted by Ron5995 on Nov 10, 2017

Firstly, the game is a rip off!

As to why. Look at the odds. 1 in 25,989,600 for jackpot that will likely be single to maybe double-digit millions at best. Worse, it's an annuity. Yep, that $2 million starting jackpot isn't really $2 million. The actual value is more closer to 60% of the advertised amount. $1.2 million or so to start. 1 in ~26 million to win that. Crazy!

To be fair, due to no one hitting the final Hot Lotto jackpot, it appears the initial starting Lotto America jackpot will be $15 million annuity. So not as bad, relatively speaking.

2nd place is terrible too. 1 in 2,887,733 to win $20,000. In contrast, Powerball odds (1 in 1,826,258 when adjusted for $2 price) winning $50,000 is still better. Even if one ponies up the extra dollar for Lotto multiplier, Lotto America still comes up short much of the time.

Another aspect is the payback percentage. I couldn't find the exact percentage anywhere, and not in the mood to calculate it. Since the number isn't mentioned, likely around 50% or so similar to Powerball and Mega Millions. Further compounds the rip off.

As for no televised drawing, not enough demand for that. My sense is the Lotto America game is a flash in the pan and won't last. They're reinventing an inferior version of the former $1 per ticket Mega Millions. Maybe I'm way off, and Lotto America will be a hit, but highly doubt it. Time will tell.

Agreed, it's awful.  But then, what lottery game isn't a rip off?

Call me crazy, but if The New York Lottery offered it, I'd play it. It'd be a refreshing change. Lotto America offers better odds/features than that horrendous disaster NY calls "Lotto". 

I've learned a lot about the business side of lotteries from many of your posts, and you've definitely made me a  smarter player. For that I say 'Thank you!'  But I've also got to say that the vast majority of players don't know/understand what you know. (I certainly didn't until I read your posts) Even if they did, I doubt they'd care. 

IMHO, Lotto America probably has a better shot at being a hit than either you or I think it does. G5

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