2000 4th Quarter Press Releases: Article

SACRAMENTO -- California Lottery's "Big Spin® 2000" show airs Saturday, November 11, 2000, in twelve television markets statewide. Contestants on this week's show won a combined total of $1,277,500.

California Gold is one way to get to the wheel on "Big Spin 2000". The game starts 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 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. Wilmington resident Remedios Aquino was this week's top prizewinner on the California Gold segment, winning $1 million. "I'm going to help build a church," said Aquino. Aquino, who is a child care worker, plans to use part of her $1 million prize to build a church and to help abused children who need special counseling. Other California Gold contestants won a combined total of $22,500.

"My boys have it spent already," said Elk Grove resident Charles Hollins. Hollins was one of two Fantasy 5^TM contestants to win $70,000 on this week's show. Hollins also plans to use his prize money for a vacation and for his children's schooling. The next Fantasy 5 contestant to win $70,000 was Melani DC Arias of San Rafael. This was Arias' fourth time at the Fantasy 5 Dream Machine and this time she plans to use her prize money for a trip to Europe. Robert Jennings of Yucaipa says he will move out of town with the $65,000 he won on the Dream Machine. At the Fantasy 5 Dream Machine, players have up to five chances to launch one ball at a time into one of the five bins in the pinball-type game, each bin representing a cash amount. Prizes are cumulative, but only one ball may land in each bin to claim the prize amount. Players appearing on this segment qualify by mailing an entry form to the Lottery when $5 of Fantasy 5 games are purchased on one playslip.

"Everyone started hugging me so tight I couldn't breathe," said Mary Moeun of San Jose. Moeun won $50,000 as this week's Spin-Spin-Spin contestant. "I will give my parents a trip back home to visit family," said Moeun. Moeun also plans to use part of her prize money to go back to college.

The California Lottery sells its products through a network of more than 18,000 outlets statewide. The Lottery provides 52.5 percent of its revenues to players as prizes, 34 percent to public schools and 14 percent for administrative expenses, which include 6.8 percent for retailer commissions. Since 1985, the Lottery has raised more than $12 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.