Texas Lottery May Eliminate Lotto Bonus Number

Comment #22

Bradly_60 — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 05:19:44 GMT

This is where I think we become biased. I posted this before and will again. As lottery directors and commissioners or what ever their titles are they have one job. Maximize revenue. That means sell as many tickets as you can. If you sell $500,000 worth of tickets when the jackpots are small and $5,000,000 when the jackpots are big what are you going to do? Sure WE want better odds. But then again we are going to buy tickets all the time. The only way lotteries can attract the buy a tic... [ More ]

Comment #21

Just6ntlc — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 04:12:43 GMT

What's the estimated population of Texas? I think Texas Lotto should go back to a pick 6 game. I think 6/50 format is too little. I would recommend Texas Lotto to go back to a 6/54 game. I think there should be a guaranteed jackpot.

Comment #20

bobby623 — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 04:24:34 GMT

I agree with Lantern.Pick 6/50 was popular. There were lots of winners. Many pools and clubs existed. Players were happy.You are right, Todd. There wasn't and wouldn't be many huge jackpots.I think most players were satisfied with smaller jackpots, and will be again, should TLC decide to go back to a pick 6 game. I certainly could live happily ever after with $4 million.It's a shame that Gary Grief and Kim Kiplin are still in control. They want more for the state and less for the players. Be int... [ More ]

Comment #19

JimmySand9 — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 04:00:19 GMT

Yeah, expect more winners. But it will still roll. Only about 2 million tickets are sold each draw. And with a game with one in 14 mil, a jackpot winner would have, on average, a 1 in 7 chance of coming up. And while that's an improvement from the current 1 in 23 chance of a winner, there are still going to be rolls. Just not as many.

Comment #18

Todd — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 03:33:46 GMT

I agree with you Lantern, a 6/50 game will be great, but just don't expect huge jackpots.Again, I agree with you, in the Texas already has huge jackpots with Mega Millions. A classic Lotto game does not have to be one with Texas-sized jackpots.

Comment #17

LANTERN — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 03:28:22 GMT

I will repeat this again, if they want us to buy tickets for the Texas Lotto, it will have to be a 6/49 or 6/50 game with no bonus ball, not a 6/54 and not a bonus ball game either.Comprende ? A 6/49 or a 6/50 with no bonus ball.Other-wise I will not buy any Lotto Texas tickets, let people from other states buy the tickets if they can, but here on Texas I will not buy them.Is this understood ? If people from NY and Mine can buy them, let them, but here on Texas I won't, not unless the game is a... [ More ]

Comment #16

CASH Only — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:50:16 GMT

CA Super Lotto Plus has only 27 mega balls, but you win with 0+1. And matching only the Hot Ball in Hot Lotto (5/39 + 1/19) doubles your money.

Comment #15

Rainmaker2k — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:49:13 GMT

The problem with the TLC is when the TX lottery was started there was a lot of excitement with everyone believing they had the winning numbers. As the lottery aged and the ether wore off, some people started to wake up they realized that winning wasn't so easy. The TLC was bragging about having the most profitable game in the U S, but they forgot that when a game matures the masses reduce the amount of money that they will wager on a game. So they decided to change the game, when they did a l... [ More ]

Comment #14

orangeman — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:45:26 GMT

Cash Only:You nailed it. That is what killed the 44/44 game here in Texas. There was nothing paid for the bonus ball. Orangeman

Comment #13

CASH Only — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:33:50 GMT

brad:Part of the problem with the current game is that 0+1 is a loser. Why have a mega ball game when matching only the power ball doesn't win

Comment #12

Bradly_60 — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:27:47 GMT

I agree with Cash Only, they sold lots of tickets when it was a Pick 6 game in TX. If they go back to 6/49 the odds of winning are only 1 in 13,000,000. Won't see that many jackpots runs anymore.Frankly I don't like the Pick 6 game type. Its to boring. I think the bonus ball is a good idea but limit the number of balls. 6/44 and 1/44 is just to much. If they reduced the bonus balls to 25 or 20 then you have a good game.Has anyone have any ideas of new games that haven't been played in the... [ More ]

Comment #11

CASH Only — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:00:49 GMT

Given Texas' large population, IMHO 6/50 would be too small. TX should go back to the 6/54 game.

Comment #10

orangeman — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 16:10:45 GMT

Sounds like someone in the TLC is finally listening. But we need to hold our horses until the deal is finally done. A lot can slip between the cup and the lip!Orangeman

Comment #9

Just6ntlc — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 15:55:43 GMT

Well, I'm happy to see the bonus ball go for Texas. Besides, I can analyze their lotto picks [with bonus ball] and later I can convert them into CA SLP. When is TX going back to a 6 number game? I hope they go to a 6 number game out of 54 or more WB.

Comment #8

LANTERN — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 15:45:12 GMT

I might sometimes play the Texas Lotto if they take the bonus ball out and make it a 6/49 or 6/50 game, but not if it is higher than 6/50 like 6/51, 6/52 or something else, a no bonus ball pick 6 with no more than 50 ball is all that I would ever play, if it is 6/50 I would sometimes play, if it is 6/49 then I would play more often.I have not played the Texas Lotto at all for a very long long time, since it was changed from a 6/50 game whenever that was.Give us a no bonus ball pick 6 with 49 bal... [ More ]

Comment #7

Rip Snorter — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 14:10:27 GMT

Interesting to get a Texas perspective on all this.Jack

Comment #6

bobby623 — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 13:53:07 GMT

Admitting you are wrong is hard for lot of folks, especially the ones at the Texas lottery. The people who changed all of the games to make an extra buck for the politicians are still there, still working to find ways to gouge the players with games that are not easy to win in order to boost profits.As far as a possible pick 6 game, don't count your chickens before the eggs hatch. The current game has been in trouble for a long time. If half of the 2 million folks who can't resist buying a lotto... [ More ]

Comment #5

starchild_45 — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 13:34:44 GMT

well the sales are down and the jackpots are down too. the largest jackpot washington state had is when it had the gold ball. personally i wish for the bigger pots but financially that won't happen in washington now. there really is no thrill in playing the washington lotto or the washington quinto. the pots climb so slowly it is ridiculous. it barely gets up to 5 million now. oregon's megabucks gets into the 10's a lot more than washington state. i actually spend more in oregon than i do in my... [ More ]

Comment #4

Rip Snorter — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:54:15 GMT

It will be interesting to read what various Texans on the board have to say about all this. They're the ones who'll be deciding whether it was the bonus ball they didn't like, or something else.With fuel prices soaring there might be cause to wonder whether a penny-lottery is going to be the only thing anyone can afford to play.Jack

Comment #3

Todd — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 03:52:47 GMT

This will be a huge plus for the Texas Lottery. I'm very happy for you Texans, who will once again have a classic Pick 6 game to play

Comment #2

qutgnt — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:41:23 GMT

More smoke and mirrors, unless you change the payback % its all SEMANTICS, or a quick fix that will yield the same long term results.

Comment #1

JimmySand9 — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:31:01 GMT

Now they're on the right track. We need more pick-6 games, not less!Quite frankly, they should've went back to a pick-6 format when they joined Mega Millions. It's the obvious choice with bigger jackpots, better overall odds, and the Megaplier. The lower jackpot odds are the only incentive to play Lotto Texas now, seeing it's the same format. Going back to a 6-number game will help it stand out as a different game. Washington was very smart to ditch Lotto Plus when it joined Mega instead of wait... [ More ]

Texas Lottery May Eliminate Lotto Bonus Number

Lottery Post — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 23:48:01 GMT

'5 + Bonus' format was a flop with playersLotto Texas players might be saying bye-bye to the bonus ball.One of the proposals being floated by the Texas Lottery Commission is to eliminate the new five numbers and bonus ball matrix and return to a 'pick six of fifty' (6/50) format for the Lotto game, which is the flagship of the Texas Lottery. I don't think that has been discussed specifically, but I think we're discussing all formats for the matrix, to determine what would be the best, to make it... [ More ]