First Ticket Ever Bought Wins Contestant $150,000

12.11.1999
First Ticket Ever Bought Wins Contestant $150,000

SACRAMENTO -- California Lottery's "Big Spin® 2000" show airs Saturday, December 11, 1999 in twelve television markets statewide. Contestants on this week's show won a total of $390,000.

"I told you, I told you," said the mother of Lakeisha Tobias, an auto finder from Vista after Tobias spun the prize wheel and it landed on "Triple". Tobias's second spin landed on $50,000, which gave her a grand total of $150,000! Tobias plans to contribute part of her win to charity and put a down payment on a home. This week's California Gold contestants won a combined total of $295,000. Another top California Gold winner was Antonio Ensizo of Modesto. Ensizo went to the store with his friend and decided to buy some orange juice and $2 in Scratchers®. He won his $2 back and asked the store clerk for his cash back. The clerk then asked him if he would rather just get two more Scratchers®. Ensizo agreed, put his Scratchers® in his pocket and went back to work. On his lunch break he realized he had not scratched off his tickets, and when he finally did, he found out he had a winning California Gold Scratchers® and was on his way to the "Big Spin® 2000" show. At the show Ensizo spun the prize wheel and won $100,000. Ensizo plans to use his prize money to buy new machine for landscaping and a new truck. Other California Gold contestants won a total of $45,000.

"We're going to buy an RV and put a down payment on a house," said Kimberly Anderson after winning $75,000 playing the Fantasy Dream Machine. Anderson, a homemaker from Petaluma had just won over $300 a week before the show playing Lottery's Daily 3. Lavelle More, a janitor from San Jose won $20,000.

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 $11 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
Lakeisha Tobias	Vista	$ 150,000
Antonio Ensizo	Modesto	$ 100,000
Kimberly Anderson	Petaluma	$ 75,000
Lavelle Moore	San Jose	$ 20,000
Other California Gold Winners		$ 45,000
		TOTAL $ 390,000

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1999 4th Quarter Press Releases: Article