“New Little Lotto” begins, featuring a new 5/39 matrix, rolling jackpots starting at $100,000, and a new prize level for matching just two numbers.

The Second-Annual Big Ticket (Boleto Gigante) promotion launches, with two lucky players winning expense-paid trips to the 2004 Latin Music Awards in Miami, Florida.

The Lottery launches its 30 th Anniversary $3 million Second Chance Promotion. This is the highest total prize money offered for a second-chance promotion in Illinois. Players have the chance to enter and win 20 weekly drawings for $100,000, and a Grand Prize drawing of $1 million. The Lottery hosts several events throughout the summer, including an “Anniversary Party” on July 1 with special guest J. J. Walker. The introduction of the “Have A Ball” advertising campaign featuring Bernie Mac has everybody saying, “Woo!” Seven new instant games featuring the 30 th Anniversary “Have A Ball” theme offer over $100 million in prizes.

Illinois Lottery completes another record fiscal year (FY05). Highest-ever sales reached $1.84 billion, which allowed the Illinois Lottery to transfer a record amount of $614 million to the Common School Fund.  Instant ticket sales had a record of $904 million. 

The Lottery launches 19 day (Oct 1-19)  Little Lotto Super Game promotion that offers daily prizes of trips for 4 to the Super football game to be held in Detroit in February 2006. The popular Battleship instant game (#406) is offered in mid-October.  That same month, the Lottery launches the first of seven holiday-themed instant games.  The $10 Merry Millionaire game (#415) is the first Lottery game that comes in books with alternating red and green tickets.  Three retailers with $5,000 bonuses tied to sales of holiday instant games.

Little Lotto/Pick ‘n Play promo launches.  During the promo, consumers receive a coupon for a free $2 Lucky Dough Pick ‘n Play ticket with every $5, single-drawing Little Lotto ticket purchased.  Over 1 million winning Pick ‘n Play tickets are paid out during the first six weeks of the game.  A related retailer Pick ‘n Play promotion sees 180 clerks win iPods or Visa gift cards ($100 or $200); an additional 18 retailers win $1,000 bonuses.

The Lottery launches a huge, summer-long promotion called “Set for Life.”  Under the promotion, consumers mail in $30 in eligible non-winning tickets for a chance to win one of 16 great, lifetime prizes.  Pick ‘n Play online tickets, and a suite of six Set for Life instant games are eligible for the promotion.  Consumers can either mail their non-winning tickets to Springfield, or enter via the Lottery’s website.  Sixteen winners (one per week) will gather at a September finale event at Wrigley Field in Chicago, where the following prizes will be awarded”  $100,000 a year for life (one prize);  $7,000 a year for life (five prizes) and $3,500 a year for life (10 prizes).   As part of the promotion, 32 retailers will each receive $3,000 bonuses.

The Lottery ends Fiscal Year 2006 with record sales of $1.989 billion, and record Common School Fund transfers of $670.5 million.

The Lottery reintroduces its popular Mega Tripler promotion from the past summer. During the promotion, Mega Millions tickets that win $10, $7, $3 or $2 and contain a promotional message pay out triple the amount.