After $155 million in sales and $89 million in prizes, Ontario's PAYDAY
lottery game is calling it a day!
TORONTO, June 4 /CNW/ - After a five year run, the final draw for the Ontario-only lottery game PAYDAY will be held on Thursday, June 10, 2010 to make room for new games in the future.
Launched in May 2005, PAYDAY achieved initial success by featuring a unique top prize option of an annuity paying $1,000 a week for life or a lump-sum payment of $675,000. To date, the game has generated more than $155 million in sales and $89 million in prizes, including 61 top prize wins. Of the 61 top PAYDAY prizes won, 10 winners chose the annuity prize option, and that prize feature is still available with the highly-popular CASH FOR LIFE Instant-ticket game.
"PAYDAY was the first new provincial draw lottery in five years, and now five years later, customers are looking for something new again," said Wendy Montgomery, OLG Vice President, Marketing & Key Accounts. "Customer interest has passed its peak, and so now is the appropriate time to retire PAYDAY".
Since early April, PAYDAY customers have been informed that the game would be ending through special messages printed on every game ticket and through the lottery section of OLG's website. Prizes may be claimed for up to one year following the date of the draw on which the prize was won.
OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities. Since 1975, OLG lotteries, casinos, slots, and resort casinos have generated more than $32 billion for the benefit of the Province of Ontario. Gaming proceeds support Ontario's hospitals, amateur sport, recreational and cultural activities, communities, provincial priority programs such as health care and education, and local and provincial charities and non-profit organizations through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Know your limit, play within it! THE ONTARIO PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE 1-888-230-3505 Disponible en français
For further information: For further information: Media Contact: OLG Media Relations, 1-888-946-6716
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