Did you know? Maine helped create the first-ever multi-state lottery organization — even before Powerball and Mega Millions
By Kate Northrop
The Maine Lottery is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the release of a new series of instant scratch-off tickets designed to mark the gold milestone.
Maine lottery players can now pick up three new scratch-off games, as well as a new Fast Play ticket, from the Lottery's latest series of games celebrating its 50th anniversary.
With its inception in 1974, the Maine Lottery has paid out over $4.7 billion in winnings and has generated more than $1.7 billion for the state's general fund over the last 50 years.
On June 27, 1974, Governor Kenneth M. Curtis drew the very first lottery numbers in Maine, which were printed on rubber balls and drawn from a gumball machine.
The first instant ticket introduced in Maine was called "The Great Outdoors," launched in 1975. Over the years, it established the Pick 3 and Pick 4 games, eventually entering an agreement with the New Hampshire and Vermont Lotteries to create the first-ever multi-state lottery organization called the Tri-State Lotto and launch the multi-state game Tri-State Megabucks.
In 2005 and 2010, respectively, Maine began offering multi-state games Powerball and Mega Millions, and then joined other New England states in the first regional draw game, Lucky for Life in 2012.
This June marks a special occasion for Maine lottery players, who can try out several new lottery games and promotions to celebrate the Lottery's extensive history. The latest series of scratch-off games to hit the shelves at retailers is the Lottery's 50th Anniversary series, which offers gold-themed instant tickets at $1, $2, and $5 price points.
The tickets, called "Maine Lottery 50th," offer several prizes reminiscent of the "50th" theme. All tickets in the series feature $50 instant prizes, especially the $1 ticket, which comes loaded with $50 prizes as the highest possible prize at that price point. The $2 ticket offers a top prize of $10,000, whereas the $5 ticket gives players a chance at winning a $100,000 top prize.
Maine residents can also try out one of the latest Fast Play games called the "Maine Lottery's 50th Anniversary Bash," which comes loaded with $50 and $500 prizes.
Players can then enter any non-winning Fast Play or scratch-off tickets into the "Maine Lottery Portland Sea Dogs" second-chance promotion as long as they are from the 50th Anniversary series. On July 4, 2024, the lottery will randomly draw 40 winners to receive a Portland Sea Dogs game package, which includes four tickets for the Aug. 3, 2024 game at the Trademark Federal Credit Union Picnic Area. The prize also includes food and non-alcoholic beverages and will feature other giveaways during the game as well.
The deadline for submitting non-winning tickets for entries in the promotion is June 30, 2024.
Lastly, the Lottery is running one more 50th Anniversary promotion from now through June 29, 2024. Excluding Cash Pop and Fast Play, players will get extra chances at winning a $50 instant prize with the purchase of a draw game ticket worth $5 or more.
In January 2023, one lone ticket in Maine won a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot, making it the very first time a Mega Millions jackpot was ever won in the state. The winner claimed the prize anonymously under a trust one month after the win but sued the mother of his child for allegedly revealing the win to his family. In March 2024, his family filed an opposition against him for making up the claims in his lawsuit and going back on his promise to share the prize.
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Nifty Fifty....WTG Maine Lottery.
I thought the story was going to be about Maine getting a $50 scratch off for the 50th anniversary. Many states already have them. Texas is the only state that has the $100 scratch off