LOTTO SOUTH FAST FACTS

• LOTTO SOUTH began in September, replacing Lotto Kentucky;
• The game is played in three states, Kentucky, Virginia and Georgia;
• Players can win four ways by matching 6, 5,4 or 3 numbers on the LOTTO SOUTH game;
• All prize levels are determined on a pari-mutuel basis. Players who pick the winning numbers share an equal portion of the prize pool for each prize level;
• Overall odds of winning a prize in LOTTO SOUTH are one in 54.

Lotto South Proves Bigger Jackpots
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (December 19, 2001) -- Lotto South has stayed true to its promise of bigger jackpots faster. After 14 drawings, the estimated Lotto South jackpot is up to a whopping $17 million with a cash option amount of $8.5 million. It would have taken months for the Lotto Kentucky jackpot to reach that amount.
Kentucky Lottery players have joined players from Virginia and Georgia to create a bigger and better lotto game for all three states. The three states have a combined population base of about 19 million people.
Along with bigger jackpots, players have more ways to win with Lotto South. They can match 6, 5, 4, or 3 numbers to win. All prize levels are determined on a pari-mutuel basis. Players who pick the winning numbers share an equal portion of the prize pool for each prize level.
SOURCE: Kentucky Lottery Corp.

Initial Lotto South Sales Disappointing
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (November 19, 2001) -- With nonstop, commercial-free coverage of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks airing on television and radio, sales for Lotto South's first drawing were below expectations..............Click here to read the full story.

Lotto South Proves Bigger Jackpots
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (September 21, 2001) -- Lotto South has stayed true to its promise of bigger jackpots faster. After only three drawings, the estimated Lotto South jackpot is up to a whopping $5 million with a cash option amount of $2.5 million. It would have taken about 15 weeks for the Lotto Kentucky jackpot to reach that amount.
Kentucky Lottery players have joined players from Virginia and Georgia to create a bigger and better lotto game for all three states. The three states have a combined population base of about 19 million people.
Along with bigger jackpots, players have more ways to win with Lotto South. They can match 6, 5, 4, or 3 numbers to win. All prize levels are determined on a pari-mutuel basis. Players who pick the winning numbers share an equal portion of the prize pool for each prize level.
SOURCE: Kentucky Lottery.

Lotto South Holds First Drawing
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (September 13, 2001) -- Lotto South held it's first drawing last night. Although no one matched all six numbers to win the $2 million jackpot, many players became winners. Lotto South had over 20,000 winners in last night's drawing.
Lotto South prize levels are determined on a pari-mutuel basis. Players who pick the winning numbers share an equal portion of the prize pool for each prize level. In last night's drawing there were 14 winners who matched 5 of 6 numbers. Each of these winners will receive $1,627. There were 991 winners who matched 4 of 6 to win $90 and 19,004 winners who matched 3 of 6 to win $5.
Lotto South is a multi-state game that is played in Virginia and Georgia as well as Kentucky. The combined populations of these states give the new Lotto South game a population base of about 19 million people. That means the jackpots will start higher and are expected to grow faster. The Lotto South jackpot for Saturday night's drawing is worth an estimated $3 million. The estimated cash option is $1.5 million.
Tickets for Lotto South cost $1 per play and may be purchased until 10:45 p.m. ET/ 9:45 p.m. CT on Saturday.
SOURCE: Kentucky Lottery.

What is Rufus, the Star of Virginia Lottery's New Lotto South TV Ad Searching for in That Field of Kudzu?
RICHMOND, Virginia (September 7, 2001) -- His name is Rufus. He’s a farmer. And he sure is searching for something. He’s looking all over a field overgrown with kudzu, but he just can’t find whatever it is he’s searching for.
Rufus is the star of a new set of ten-second Virginia Lottery spots. We will let you in on a secret. Rufus’ search is part of the Virginia Lottery’s inauguration of Lotto South, set to replace Lotto Virginia on September 9. The first Lotto South drawing will be Wednesday, September 12.
Virginia Lottery players will see very little change with Lotto South. They will still select six numbers between 1 and 49. Jackpot drawings will still be held Wednesday and Saturday nights at 11pm. They will still be able to play at Virginia Lottery retailers. Odds of winning will still be about 1 in 14 million. The difference is that Lotto South will include players not just from Virginia, but Kentucky and Georgia too. Therefore, the jackpots are expected to be higher and faster-growing than many players are accustomed to. Not only that, but the minimum jackpot will be $2 million, rather than $1 million. Players may choose to receive their winnings in a cash option payment, or annuitized over 30 years.
There is an added bonus for Virginia players. If there are no jackpot winners in the final Lotto Virginia drawing on September 8, those funds will be rolled into a "Million Dollar Bonus" program. The first Lotto South jackpot winners who bought their tickets in Virginia will receive two checks: one for their winnings, and the other for an annuitized one million dollars (or if the players choose, a cash payment of approximately half a million dollars). This will continue until all the "Million Dollar Bonus" funds have been awarded.
So, just what is Rufus searching for in those ten-second spots? Stay tuned. It could bring him luck. And by the way, if you don’t know what kudzu is, you are probably not a true southerner. It is a vine that has a lot in common with Lotto South: both are fast growing and are found particularly in the South.
SOURCE: Virginia Lottery (www.valottery.com).
CONTACT: Edward Scarborough, John Hagerty or Cherie Phaup (804) 692-7777.

Lotto South Tickets Go on Sale
By Bill Baskervill, The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. (September 8, 2001) -- Lotto games in three Southern states will become Lotto South next week in a venture designed to produce bigger payoffs for players and more profits for the participating states.
Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia will start selling tickets for Lotto South on Sunday, with the first drawing in Richmond on Wednesday. Each state will have the final drawing of its Lotto game Saturday night.
If there is no jackpot winner in Lotto Virginia's $4 million drawing Saturday, the leftover funds will be awarded in bonuses of $1 million each to the first four Lotto South jackpot winners who bought tickets in Virginia.
Lotto South players will choose six numbers from a pool of 1 to 49 with the odds of winning about 1 in 14 million, higher than the odds in each state's Lotto. Drawings will be made on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 11 p.m.
The new system should see jackpots that could reach $30 million and should average between $10 million and $20 million, said Virginia Lottery director Penelope W. Kyle. The jackpot will start at $2 million, as opposed to $1 million for each state's Lotto.
Lotto sales have fallen short of goals in the states, prompting them to band together.
''It was time to do something to our Lotto game to generate new interest,'' said Kentucky Lottery President Arch Gleason.
Kyle said Virginia Lotto amounts weren't luring players. ''It's called jackpot fatigue,'' she said. ''A million dollars just isn't what it used to be.''
Virginia Lottery officials hoped for sales of about $83 million for the fiscal year ending June 30. Sales were $79.8 million.
Lottery officials are not unhappy with the Lotto Virginia sales but are always looking for ways to generate more revenue, which the state uses for public education, lottery spokesman Ed Scarborough said.
Lotto Georgia sales were $80.6 million this fiscal year compared with $93 million in fiscal 2000.
In Kentucky, Lotto sales declined from $35 million in fiscal 2000 to $28 million in fiscal 2001, said lottery spokeswoman Sara Westerman.
Sales in each state will determine its share of Lotto South profits.
Lotto South marks the first time Southern states have joined to put together a lottery, said Kyle, who also serves as president of the North American Association of States and Provinces Lottery, an organization representing lotteries in Mexico, Canada, the United States and other island countries.
All states share responsibility for the new pool, and all can pull out at any time. Players may choose to receive their winnings in cash or annually over 30 years.
Georgia Lottery President Rebecca Paul had been lobbying for another multistate game since 1993, but she said it was hard to find the right group of people who were ready at the same time. She wanted Southern states with similar populations.
Virginia and Georgia also are among seven states that participate in the Big Game, which routinely generates jackpots in the tens of millions of dollars. The other participants are Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and New Jersey.
© The Associated Press. Used with permission.

Virginia Lottery Will Join New 'Lotto South' Game
By LARRY O'DELL AND NICK P. DIVITO, Associated Press
RICHMOND, Virginia (June 16, 2001) --Virginia Lottery officials on Friday unanimously voted to convert Lotto Virginia to a multi-state venture that would generate bigger payoffs for players and profits for the state.
The 5-0 vote allows Virginia to join other Southern states in a game called ``Lotto South,'' which is expected to begin Sept. 9, said Penelope W. Kyle, executive director of the Virginia Lottery.
``Nobody plays the Lotto anymore when the jackpot is $13 million,'' Kyle said. ``It's called jackpot fatigue. A million dollars just isn't what it used to be.''
Two weeks ago, Kentucky's lottery board approved plans to join Lotto South. Other Southern states, like Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana, have expressed interest in participating, Kyle said.
Last September, the Virginia lottery officials revised the Lotto game to allow players to choose six numbers from a pool of 1 to 49 instead of 1 to 44. The odds of winning doubled to about 1 in 14 million.
The longer odds meant fewer winners, which in turn meant larger jackpots and increased ticket sales. But sales have fallen short of the Virginia Lottery's goal.
Virginia Lottery spokesman Ed Scarborough said officials hoped for sales of about $83 million for the fiscal year ending June 30. Sales as of June 9 were $73.3 million, and the year-end forecast was $79.6 million. Although short of the target, that still would be $3.7 million more than the state expected.
Lottery officials are not unhappy with the Virginia Lotto sales but are always looking for ways to generate more revenue, which the state uses for public education, Scarborough said.
Other than a name change and some possible tweaking of the prize structure, the pick-six game probably will remain the same, he said.
``Players will just be big fish in a bigger pond,'' said Virginia Lottery Board Chairman Stephen C. Fogleman. ``Hopefully, we'll have more people buying into it, and when they win, they hopefully will have a bigger payout to them and that will result in more money for the Commonwealth of Virginia.''
The new system would see bigger jackpots that could reach $30 million and should average between $10 million and $20 million, Kyle said. The base jackpot would start at $2 million as, as opposed to $1 million, she said.
It would be the first time Southern states joined to put together a lottery, said Kyle, who also serves as president of the North American Association of States and Provinces Lottery, an organization representing lotteries in Mexico, Canada, the United States and other island countries.
All states would share responsibility of the new pool, Scarborough said, and all can pull out at any time.
© The Associated Press. Used with permission.

Georgia Lottery officials Consider Joining Virginia and Kentucky in New Multistate Game
ATLANTA, Georgia (June 16, 2001) --According to the 'Atlanta Journal-Constitution' Georgia Lottery officials are considering joining Virginia and Kentucky as early as September in a multistate game tentatively dubbed "Lotto South."
The newspaper said the game, which would be the first all-Southern lottery, could replace Lotto Georgia and may pay higher jackpots - as much as $30 million.
It might also mean more money for the HOPE scholarship program, Georgia Lottery officials said.
Rebecca Paul, president of the Georgia Lottery Corp. is reported by the newspaper as saying that she expects to ask for approval to join the new game when the lottery board meets on August 1. Virginia lottery officials voted last Friday to participate (see above story). Kentucky's lottery board approved it last month.
Lotto South would provide average payouts of $10 million to $20 million, said Penelope Kyle, head of Virginia's lottery. The jackpot would start at $2 million.
The new game would provide bigger jackpots than Lotto Georgia, which range from $2 million to $10 million, because the new game would be available to up to 18 million potential players. The figure is still far short of the Big Game, Georgia's only current multistate game, in which 60 million players in seven states generate jackpots; one recently hit $90 million.
Paul said that if the Georgia board approves Lotto South, it could have two drawings, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Lotto Georgia has one, on Saturday nights. Odds for the proposed game are still being developed, Paul said. One scenario has players picking six numbers from a pool of 1 to 49, she said.
The potential benefits for HOPE and other educational programs funded by the lottery are being studied.
"Until we get board approval, I can't say what our anticipations are for increased sales and increased revenues," Paul said. "Obviously, when we have bigger jackpots, we have larger sales."
Lotto South could help protect Georgia's lottery from competition from South Carolina's new lottery, due to start by November 1 with instant games, which offer jackpots much smaller than the multistate games.
© The Associated Press. Used with permission.

Kentucky Lottery to Develop New Multi-Jurisdictional Game (Lotto South) in Conjunction with Virginia and Georgia
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (May 25, 2001) -- The Kentucky Lottery Corporation's (KLC) board of directors today approved the implementation of a new on-line game to be called Lotto South. The game will be developed as a multi-jurisdictional game in conjunction with Virginia and Georgia.