Georgia Lottery
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The Georgia Lottery is overseen by the government of Georgia. Headquartered in Atlanta and run by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, the lottery takes in over US$1 billion yearly. By law, half of the money goes to prizes, one-third to education, and the remainder to operating and marketing the lottery. The education money funds the HOPE Scholarship, and has become a successful model for other states, including the new South Carolina Education Lottery.
Long unconstitutional in a highly conservative U.S. state, a state-run lottery was explicitly allowed in a 1992 constitutional amendment to Article I, Section II, Paragraph VIII of the Georgia State Constitution, approved in a statewide referendum. The GLC was created by a separate bill in 1992 by the Georgia General Assembly and then-governor of Georgia Zell Miller in the Lottery for Education Act (OCGA 50-27). Rebecca Paul, who began the Florida Lottery, then ran the Georgia Lottery for its first decade, before leaving to start up the new Tennessee Lottery in 2004.
The original in-state weekly jackpot game, Lotto Georgia, later merged with two other lotteries to create larger jackpots as Lotto South. Like neighboring Florida, Georgia also has a once-daily Fantasy 5 game. There are also the twice-daily, once on Sunday, Cash 3 and Cash 4 games. It also participates in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery, and has numerous scratch-off games which change frequently. In February 2006, Lotto South ended; its replacement does not have a cash option, unlike Mega Millions and Powerball. (Lotto South is planned to return in 2010 with at least six members.)
In the mid-1990s, Georgia, already offering Powerball, joined The Big Game (now Mega Millions) when it began in 1996. Several days after Georgia began selling The Big Game tickets, it was forced to leave the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which continues to administer the Powerball game. (In October 2009, an agreement was reached between Mega Millions and the Powerball group allowing Mega Millions and Powerball tickets to be sold through all U.S. lotteries. Georgia could again join Powerball, but this time without losing Mega Millions.)
The minimum age to play the Georgia Lottery is 18.
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[edit] Cash 3
Cash 3 is Georgia Lottery's Pick 3 game. Cash 3 is played 7 days a week with an afternoon draw and an evening draw. There is only one draw on Sundays. Cash 3 has been played since August 10, 1993.
[edit] Cash 4
Cash 4 is Georgia Lottery's Pick 4 game. Cash 4 is played 7 days a week with an afternoon draw & an evening draw. There is only 1 draw on Sundays. Cash 4 has been played since April 6, 1997.
[edit] Fantasy 5 (with eZmatch option)
Fantasy 5 is a daily Georgia Lottery lotto game that draws five of the 39 numbers. Tickets are one dollar per play. Jackpots starts at $50,000 and increases if there is no grand prize winner per drawing. Fantasy 5 also has an eZmatch option for an additional one dollar per play. If you match your Fantasy 5 numbers to any of the eZmatch numbers in this option, You can win some some additional instant cash prizes! The eZmatch option can be won up to five times on each ticket. The Fantasy 5 game has been played since November 14, 1994.
[edit] Win For Life (played in 3 lotteries)
Win For Life (played in Georgia, Kentucky & Virginia) draws six of 42 numbers plus one additional ball, the Free Ball. Matching all six numbers (not including the Free Ball), wins $1000 a week for life. Matching five plus the free ball wins $52,000. It is played on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Tickets are $1 per play. It replaced Lotto South in 2006. Unlike Mega Millions, there is no cash option for the top prize.
[edit] Lotto South
The original in-state weekly jackpot game, Lotto Georgia (which started September 10, 1993), later merged with two other lotteries to create larger jackpots as Lotto South. This game has been played until February 2006 and was replaced by Win For Life, a similar game that does not have a cash option. Lotto South also plans to return in 2010 and six additional members will also be playing this game.
[edit] KENO!
Keno is played every 4 minutes.Twenty numbers from the field of 1 through 80 are selected and displayed on the KENO! monitor at Georgia Lottery retailers. Various prizes & options & price options varies in this game.
[edit] Mega Millions (multi-lottery game)
In the mid-1990s, Georgia, already offering Powerball, joined The Big Game (now Mega Millions) when it began in 1996. Several days after Georgia began selling The Big Game tickets, it was forced to leave the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which continues to administer the Powerball game. (In October 2009, an agreement was reached between Mega Millions and the Powerball group allowing Mega Millions and Powerball tickets to be sold through all U.S. lotteries. Georgia could again join Powerball, but this time without losing Mega Millions.) The Mega Millions drawings are held at the Georgia Lottery studios.
[edit] Powerball (multi-lottery game)
In the mid-1990s, Georgia, already offering Powerball, joined The Big Game (now Mega Millions) when it began in 1996. Several days after Georgia began selling The Big Game tickets, it was forced to leave MUSL, which continues to administer the Powerball game. (In October 2009, an agreement was reached between Mega Millions and MUSL allowing Mega Millions and Powerball tickets to be sold through all U.S. lotteries. Georgia could again join Powerball, but this time without losing Mega Millions.) This means The Georgia Lottery would be allowed to sell Powerball tickets alongside Mega Millions as early as January 31, 2010. At this time, it is unknown whether the Georgia Lottery will be playing Powerball again.
