BOISE – The Idaho Lottery officially launched the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Scratch™ Ticket today to help benefit the World Winter Games, scheduled for February 7-13, 2009, in Idaho.

In support of Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and the Idaho Legislature’s commitment to the 2009 World Winter Games, the Idaho Lottery created the $1 Scratch™ ticket as an opportunity for Lottery players to contribute all or a portion of their ticket winnings to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games.

A series of four snazzy blue-and-white tickets features unique designs depicting official Special Olympics pictograms for four of its seven winter sports – floor hockey, alpine skiing, snowboarding and speed skating. Designed by Stephanie Wellman, graphic arts specialist for the Idaho Lottery, players can win from $1 to a top prize of $3,000. Lottery players have the ability to donate 25 percent, 50 percent or 100 percent of their winnings to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games.

“The Idaho Lottery is very excited to have found a unique way that our Lottery players and retail partners can help support the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games,” said Jeffrey R. Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director. “As a responsible state enterprise, this is the first and only Idaho game of its kind to benefit any Idaho non-profit organization that is legislatively supported. It is also the first time ever that any of the more than 43 state lotteries has created a Scratch™ ticket to benefit the Special Olympics organization.”

“We are extremely grateful to the Idaho Lottery for developing such a creative campaign to help raise funds for the World Winter Games, and to promote awareness and support in the community as well,” said Heather Hill, 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Vice President of Marketing. “We are honored to be partnered with the Idaho Lottery in this first-time initiative and to help see it through to great success for both the Lottery and the World Winter Games.”

As a state agency whose primary beneficiaries are Idaho public schools and buildings, the Idaho Lottery does not have the authority to support nonprofit entities such as the World Winter Games. Encouraging Lottery players to donate their ticket winnings proved the only reasonable means by which the Idaho Lottery could support this state sanctioned event.

Lottery officials expect to sell out the Scratch™ ticket long before the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games begin in February 2009. Over 840,000 Scratch™ tickets were ordered. The Scratch™ ticket has a game format that includes matching three like amounts to win that dollar amount, and a bonus Medal round to double or triple the winning ticket amount.