The Big Spin® 2000 Show Awards $170,000 to its contestants

07.17.1999
The Big Spin® 2000 Show Awards $170,000 to its contestants

SACRAMENTO -- The new California Lottery's "Big Spin® 2000" show airs Saturday July 17, 1999 in twelve television markets statewide. Contestants on this week's show won a total of $170,000.

"Hopefully I'll be back again," said retired businessman Leovigildo Diapo Jr., after winning $55,000 playing Fantasy 5® on California Lottery's Big Spin® 2000 show. Diapo, a resident of Burbank, said, "The money I won will be for my granddaughters, to help them out in college."

This week's show hosted two separate California Gold games. "All the kids can come over for free pony rides," said Samuel Stoker, a cement finisher from Santa Rosa. Stoker got his ticket from his mother-in-law as a gift and plans to take care of her, buy some ponies and give all the kids in his family free pony rides. "I love to see those babies smile," said Stoker. Stoker was the top winner with $50,000. North Highlands resident Joe White also hit the gold winning $20,000. White, a retired government inspector also plans to help his granddaughter out in college. California Gold is Big Spin 2000's newly restyled way to get to the wheel. It begins with 10 contestants whose Big Spin Scratchersâ tickets revealed three "TV Show" symbols on one ticket. When instructed, each player pushes down a "detonator" to reveal a prize ranging from $1,750 to $4,000. Two of those contestants will reveal gold nuggets and advance to the second round of play. Once there, they compete to see who can get the closest to 10 units of "gold nuggets" in their mining car without going over. The winner of this round goes to the Big Spin 2000 prize wheel, while the other contestant wins $5,000.

The California Lottery sells its products through a network of more than 18,000 outlets statewide. The Lottery provides 52 percent of its revenues to players as prizes, 34 percent to public schools, and 14 percent for administrative expenses, which includes 6.8 percent for retailer commissions. Since 1985, the Lottery has raised more than $10 billion for public schools and has provided an annual average of approximately 38 percent of the Lottery's total revenues to schools. The California Lottery's contribution equals approximately 2 percent of the state's total education budget. "Big Spin® 2000" is the longest running Lottery game show in the country, airing continuously since 1985.

NAME	CITY	AMOUNT
Leovigildo Diapo Jr.	Burbank	$ 55,000
Samuel Stoker	Santa Rosa	$ 50,000
Joe White	North Highlands	$ 20,000
Other California Gold Winners		$ 45,000
		TOTAL $170,000

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1999 3rd Quarter Press Releases: Article