"Big Spin® 2000" Contestants Win More Than $270,000

02.26.2000
"Big Spin® 2000" Contestants Win More Than $270,000

SACRAMENTO -- California Lottery's "Big Spin® 2000" show airs Saturday, February 26, 2000 in twelve television markets statewide. Contestants on this week's show won a total of $272,500. Joseph Plummer of Riverside won $80,000 as this week's top Fantasy^TM 5 Dream Machine winner. Plummer, who works in marketing sales said, "I'm going to buy my wife a house." He also plans to give some of his prize to his sister who lives in Chicago.

Christianna Howard of Norwalk brought a card signed by her co-workers with a good luck penny attached to it to the show for good luck. Howard won $60,000 playing the Fantasy^TM 5 Dream Machine. Howard said she wants to do something nice for her family and friends with her prize money and will also give a donation to the church.

Brian Clarke of Orangevale is not a stranger to winning playing the Dream Machine. In September of 1998 Clarke won $25,000 playing the Fantasy^TM 5 Dream Machine. Two time winner, Clarke who works as a travel agent, won another $40,000 playing the Dream Machine.

Robert Brewer of Long Beach had never been to Hawaii and said that he would take his wife to Hawaii with his prize money. Brewer won $10,000 as a Fantasy 5 contestant.

California Gold contestants won a total of $62,500. Michael Dorsey of Apple Valley said, "I'm going to buy a car, a house and have some fun." Dorsey won $40,000 as this week's top California Gold contestant. California Gold begins with 10 contestants whose Big Spin Scratchers® 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 the ten contestants will reveal gold nuggets and advance to the second round of play. Once there, they compete to see who can get closest to 10 units of gold in their mining car without going over. The winner of this round goes to the Big Spin prize wheel, while the other contestant wins $5,000.

"I want to take a trip to Tennessee to see my daughter," said Sarah Paynter, a cook from Arleta. Paynter won $20,000 spinning the largest prize wheel in the world.

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. 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
Joseph Plummer	Riverside	$80,000
Christianna Howard	Norwalk	$60,000
Michael Dorsey	Apple Valley	$40,000
Brian Clarke	Orangevale	$40,000
Sarah Paynter	Arleta	$20,000
Robert Brewer	Long Beach	$10,000
Other California Gold Winners		$22,500
		TOTAL $272,500

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