Mar 03, 2009 02:37 PM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
A popular national lottery is being scratched after 15 years.
Canadians will have to cash in on a new lottery on Friday nightsstarting in September when the national Lotto Super 7 comes to an end.
Since the Super 7 was launched in June 1994, it has generated sales of$11.44 billion and players have won $6.73 billion, said Ontario LotteryCorp. spokesman Rui Brum in an interview from Sault. Ste. Marie.
But he noted it has been going for almost 15 years and it's time for a change.
"It's going to make way for a new national lottery game that will offerCanadians even more of what they've been looking for, from what ourresearch tells us – big jackpots and more millionaires than everbefore," said Brum.
The Interprovincial Lottery Corp., whichadministers five regional lottery corporations, said the final Super 7draw will be on Sept. 18. Tickets for the new lottery will go on saleSept. 19, with the first draw set for Sept. 25.
Brum said the name of the new game was not yet being announced and further details would be revealed in the coming months.
News of the game's demise came on the day the Bank of Canada cut itskey trendsetting overnight interest rate by 50 basis points to anunheard of low 0.5 per cent, and a day after Statistics Canadaannounced Canada's economy had shrunk 3.4 per cent in the fourthquarter of 2008.
But Brum said the recession – and cautious consumers – weren't behind the decision to scrap the Super 7.
"Not at all. In fact lotteries tend to hold very steady. The one driverof more people playing lotteries would be the size of the jackpots.That has still been the prime determinant of participation in thesegames," said Brum.
The biggest jackpot of the Super 7 was backon May 17, 2002, when $37.8 million went up for grabs. At the time thatwas the highest jackpot ever for Canadian lotteries, Brum said.
Four tickets – two in Quebec, one in Saskatchewan and the other inBritish Columbia – shared that Lotto Super 7 jackpot, for a prize ofalmost $9.5-million each. Among them were 10 men and four women fromGrand-Mere, Que., all employees or patrons of two neighbouring bars whopooled their money to buy almost 1,200 tickets for that draw.
Players holding current Super 7 subscriptions will receive further information in the mail from their regional lottery.
On Sept., 18, if the final Super 7 jackpot is not won, it will rolldown and be shared among the winners in the next prize category.
