10 lottery questions; 10 lottery answers
Sunday, March 26, 2006 posted 11:09 AM EST
1. Q: Who can play?
A: Anyone 18 years or older.
2. Q: When will tickets go on sale?
A: Thursday at 6 a.m. Long lines are possible the first day.
3. Q: Am I going to hear more about this?
A: Television and radio commercials begin Monday and will run for several weeks.
They will tout the fun of playing while getting across the message of where money will go - to education.
4. Q: Where will tickets be sold?
A: About 5,000 retail outlets around the state are set to offer the games, mostly from gas stations, groceries, convenience stores and some specialty shops. Retailers will display lottery posters and banners and the games should be easy to find near cash registers. Sales projections for Thursday are between $1 million and $2 million.
5. Q: How do you buy tickets?
A: The $1, $2 and $5 tickets can be bought with cash, debit cards or personal checks, though retailers may choose to accept cash only. Credit cards are not allowed.
6. Q: How are the games played?
A: Players use a coin or other object to scratch a coating off the ticket to reveal whether it is a winner or loser. The prize amount is scratched off in a nearby area. Each game is different, but they generally involve seeing if symbols or numbers match up or if numbers are large enough to win.
7. Q: What are the odds of winning?
A: Depends on the game. Overall odds of winning a prize for the four games are about one in three tickets. Most wins will be nominal amounts.
In a typical $2 game in South Carolina, for example, 94 percent of the winning tickets are for prizes of $5 or less. The grand prize is awarded on seven tickets out of 3.25 million tickets.
8. Q: Are winning tickets placed strategically around the state?
A: No. A computer randomly places the winning tickets into batches of tickets as they are printed in San Antonio, Texas. The lottery will randomly distribute the tickets around the state.
9. Q: Are taxes due on winnings?
A: Yes, prizes are subject to income taxes. The player is responsible for reporting to the IRS up to $5,000. Anything more and the lottery will withhold the appropriate tax.
10. Q: What’s coming up?
A: A new numbers game is anticipated sometime this fall that would involve the player picking three or five numbers.
Within two weeks, four more scratch-off games will be introduced. There may be more than 30 instant scratch-offs available in the months ahead.
The state will join a multi-state numbers game, Powerball, on May 30.
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