Lottery news

The Natural State Jackpot tickets went on sale on Monday, August 27, and 17 days later--an as yet unidentified player in Mountain Home has won $100,000.   The Arkansas-only jackpot game was offered by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery in response to player request—with dozens of calls to Lottery headquarters asking for a lotto-style game exclusive to Arkansas players.  On Thursday night, when the winning numbers were drawn, it was revealed that a winning ticket was sold at Tobacco Station USA on Highway 62E in Mountain Home.  All players who purchased Natural State Jackpot tickets at that location should check their numbers carefully against the five numbers drawn, available at myarkansaslottery.com or at any Arkansas Scholarship Lottery retailer.   The $100,000 prize can be claimed at any ASL Claim Center, in Jonesboro, Springdale, Little Rock, or Camden.   

Friday night’s prize returns to the $25,000 level.   Here’s how the game works:  Natural State Jackpot tickets cost $1.  Players pick (or have the computer pick for them) five numbers between 1 and 39.   At 8 p.m. every night except Sunday, a secure random drawing, supervised by auditors, is held at Lottery Headquarters to choose the five winning numbers.  When the correct five numbers are chosen, and a winning ticket is sold, the jackpot resets to $25,000, and the game goes on.   For players who haven’t tried the Natural State Jackpot game yet, grab a ticket this weekend!  Someone who spent $1 Thursday just won $100,000! 

The Natural State Jackpot also has lower-tier prizes.  Four matching numbers pay $300, three at $7 and if you get two numbers right, you get you $1 purchase price returned.  If more than one player matches the jackpot numbers, the jackpot is divided evenly between them.  As with other games, the retailer selling the winning jackpot ticket will receive a selling bonus of 1% of the prize. 

For those who play Powerball or Mega Millions, with odds of 1/176,000,000, the Natural State Jackpot is very similar but with much better odds of only 1/575,757. 

“Everyone at the Lottery is excited for the unidentified $100,000 winner who played at Mountain Home.  The Natural State Jackpot really is a dollar for a dream,” said Bishop Woosley, Lottery Director.  “We will continue to have Arkansas winners regularly, they will win a large sum of money, and they will be buying those tickets right here at home in Arkansas and helping with the Academic Challenge Scholarships.” 

This past year, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery produced $97.5 Million for scholarships, currently being awarded to Arkansas students enrolled in Arkansas colleges and universities.  Net proceeds from games such as the Natural State Jackpot go directly and exclusively to fund these scholarships.