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#4283 ELP

POWERBALL Will Soon Roll into Maryland
Large Jackpot Game Slated to Arrive in the State in 2010
 

(Baltimore, Maryland) – Marylanders envisioning the “big” money will soon have another game to power their dreams. The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) and the 12-state Mega Millions group came to an agreement during the annual national lottery conference known as NASPL this week in Oklahoma City.  Negotiations about cross-selling each other’s games have been under way for some time and, although a specific date has not yet been determined, the Maryland Lottery hopes to begin sales before the end of the fiscal year. Based on early projections, the Maryland Lottery anticipates that POWERBALL could generate an additional $50 million in annual sales for the State.

“The addition of POWERBALL will enhance our portfolio of games and offer our players the opportunity to enjoy our jackpot games almost every night of the week,” said Maryland Lottery Director Buddy Roogow. “With two big jackpot games, we will be able to provide even more options for our players, and ultimately more revenue for the State of Maryland.” 

Mega Millions, once called The Big Game, offers jackpots starting at $12 million and is drawn on Tuesday and Friday evenings. POWERBALL, with jackpots starting at $20 million, is drawn on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.  On Saturday, October 3^rd, one lucky Florida player was awarded a $189 million POWERBALL jackpot. 

The Maryland Lottery, which has recently achieved its 12^th year of record-breaking sales, is also the 12^th largest lottery in the country. Revenues from Lottery sales, which were more than $493 million in Fiscal Year 2009, are deposited into the State's General Fund and used to support such services and programs as education, public health, human resources, public safety and the environment.

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