The Illinois Lottery announced today that with the recent launch of $200 Million Cash Spectacular, the transformation of the scratch game portfolio is fast becoming a reality across Illinois. There are now 65 new millionaires waiting to be found.

In addition to the 25 millionaires to come out of the $200 Million Cash Spectacular scratch game, the Lottery reports that an additional 40 $1,000,000 or higher top prizes are available in their new scratch game portfolio. Scratch games such as Illinois Lottery Black, $3 Million Cash Bonanza, The Color of Money, Jackpot Bonus and Platinum Payout 20X are all holding top prizes.

“The Illinois Lottery has never before offered this magnitude of winnable scratch games,” said Connie Laverty O’Connor, CEO of Northstar Lottery Group, the new private manager of the Illinois Lottery. “Every scratch game is better-paying and offers more prizes. As of today, we still have 119 prizes out there that will pay out $100,000 or more, and 7.6 million winners that will come out of one single scratch game -- $200 Million Cash Spectacular.”

Riding off the success of Cash for Life, where at least seven top prizes remain for $2500 A Week For Life, scratch ticket sales have enjoyed record sales every month since March 2011.  For the week of Sept. 10th, the Lottery reports scratch sales are showing a 22.5 percent increase over the same week last year and a 14 percent increase of total Lottery business year over year.

“We have introduced scratch games this summer that have been tested globally with tremendous success,” said Victor Golden, Interim Superintendent for the Illinois Lottery. “These games are changing the winning experience for our players and transforming this Lottery. We are delivering what our players have been asking for, bigger prizes and more chances to win.”

The Illinois Lottery estimates that the scratch game $200 Million Cash Spectacular alone has the potential to generate more than $30,000,000 to support Illinois schools and capital projects.  The Illinois Lottery has contributed $16.4 billion to the Common School Fund and the Capital Projects Fund, and last year contributed $632 million to Illinois students and schoolrooms and $54 million to the Capital Projects Fund.