Lottery Sales At State Fair Break Last Year’s Record; More Than A Quarter Million Dollars In Prizes

September 1, 2010

Lottery sales at the West Virginia State Fair broke last year’s record by 11 percent, according to Lottery Director John Musgrave. He said instant ticket sales were nearly 13 percent higher than last year; they were 20 percent higher than two years ago.

Musgrave said overall sales for the nine-day event totaled $265,448. Of that, $258,950 represented sales of instant game tickets, placing the State Fair in the number one slot among retailers statewide selling instant scratch games in August.

“In nine days the State Fair sold over eight times the number of instant tickets than our number two retailer sold in an entire month,” said Musgrave. He said Welch Bantam Market in Welch ranks second for August instant game sales, generating $31,350.

Musgrave said factors affecting sales included a $100 million Mega Million jackpot and the introduction of Mega MONOPOLY™ Madness on WV Lottery Day. “We had 240 players participate in the one-day live board game . . . they won 23,000 instant promotional tickets and more than $13,000 in cash prizes.”

Musgrave noted, however, that the sheer number of people who attend the fair, as well as the lottery promotion run in support of the fair’s sales effort, are big sales factors. “We gave players more than 190,000 promotional tickets during wheel spins and second chance drawings, and spent more than $58,000 in promotional giveaways.”

Musgrave said nearly $233,593 was claimed on-site from the fair operation, “and that does not include low-tier prizes cashed by statewide retailers, or high-tier prizes that may be mailed to the Lottery’s office during the allowed 180-day validation period.”

While all prizes under $601 can be claimed at lottery retail locations statewide, Musgrave said top game prizes have to be claimed from lottery headquarters in Charleston. “In the past two weeks, we’ve had four instant game prizes claimed totaling more than $9,000. Winners of the four tickets were from Glen Daniel, Clear Creek, Reedsville, and Covington, VA.