Opportunity for big money on New Year's Eve

The four-month-old Arkansas-only Natural State Jackpot broke its own record Saturday night when the jackpot ballooned to $200,000.  The NSJ game drew fans immediately when it launched on August 27, earlier this year.  The easy-to-play, easy-to-win $1 game has sold about $3 Million in tickets in just four months and produced more than $1 Million in Scholarships.  During that time, the jackpot has been hit five times, with prizes of $95,000, $35,000, $55,000, $120,000, and $100,000.  Now, a lucky Arkansas player has a chance to win big on New Year’s Eve.

“With this record jackpot, we expect to see heavy sales of Natural State tickets,” Lottery Director Bishop Woosley said.  “Odds of winning a prize are 1 in 10, so the game has drawn many loyal players.  Natural State Jackpot was the idea of Arkansans who wanted a jackpot game that could only be purchased and won in our state.  They said they wanted it, we offered it, and it has been selling like hotcakes.” 

The $1 game is played by picking five numbers between 1 and 39.   Five correct numbers hit the jackpot, and every ticket with two or more winning numbers wins a prize.  Four correct numbers result in a $300 prize, three a $3 prize, and two a $1 prize.   

This NSJ run began with a $25,000 prize offering on November 20.  From that day through Saturday night, $940,609 in NSJ tickets were bought.  During the same period, players have won $236,708 in prizes between $1 and $300.  These numbers do not take into account future sales and multi draws. 

Natural State Jackpot drawings are held Monday through Saturday at 8 p.m. Central time, at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery headquarters in Little Rock.  The jackpot always restarts at $25,000 and increases by $5,000 every draw until the jackpot is won by a lucky player who picks all five drawn numbers.  Tickets can be purchased at any of the 1900+ lottery retailers in Arkansas.  Draw results are available at myarkansaslottery.com or at any ASL retailer.