2001 2nd Quarter Press Releases: Article

SACRAMENTO -- California Lottery's "Big Spin® 2000" show airs Saturday, April 7, 2001, in twelve television markets statewide. Contestants on this week's show won a combined total of $292,500.

Camelot's Riches contestant, Randall Nulph went to the store to buy bananas and chocolate milk. Once at the store, he decided to buy a Camelot's Riches Scratchers ticket. He went home, got busy on the Internet for a few hours and then remembered to scratch off the ticket. "No way, I can't believe it," he said after finding out he would be a contestant on the Big Spin 2000 show. Nulph won $100,000 playing Camelot's Riches on this week's show. Nulph, a fire fighter from Hoopa won $25,000 his first round of play when he was given four gold balls and two black balls to play. On Nulph's second round of play, once again, the gold ball reached the finish line first, and he was awarded another $75,000. In the final round, the black ball reached the finish line first making his combined total $100,000! After winning, he said, "I'm going to invest the money I won and put some away for my daughter's education."

Pixley resident Wendi Paim won $50,000 as this week's SPIN-SPIN-SPIN contestant. "I'm going to take a trip to Portugal," said Paim.

Fantasy 5^TM contestant Rich Steinhelper of Eureka is a Facilities Manager of a local bank. At his turn up on the Dream Machine, his first ball landed in the $10,000 slot, his second $30,000, and the third ball in the $40,000 slot. At that point, Steinhelper decided to stop, giving him a grand total of $80,000. "I want to give some money to charity, invest some and have a little fun with the rest," said Steinhelper.

Retired Westminster resident Robert Johnson won $10,000 on the Fantasy 5^TM Dream Machine and said, "My wife has been putting up with me for forty-one years, so I'm going to let her spend the money."

Stephanie Garcia got a California Gold Scratchers ticket from her grandmother as a gift and won $30,000 as this week's top California Gold contestant. "I'm going to give the money to my grandmother," she said. However, Garcia's grandmother said that the money is Stephanie's to keep. Other California Gold contestants won a combined total of $22,500.

The California Lottery sells its products through a network of more than 18,000 outlets statewide. The Lottery provides 52.7 percent of its revenues to players as prizes, 34.1 percent to public schools and 13.2 percent for administrative expenses, which includes 6.9 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.