SACRAMENTO — California Lottery's "The Big Spin®" show airs Saturday, November 2, 2002, in twelve television markets statewide. Contestants on this week's show won a total of $2,347,500.
Lupe Gonzales
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"Weekly Payday Raceway" contestant Lupe Gonzales, a homemaker from San Jose, was the grand prize winner of the "Weekly Payday Raceway" game, one of The Big Spin show's newest games. Gonzales won $2,000 a week for 20 years; winning a total grand prize of over $2 million. When she won the $2 million top prize, Gonzales said, "I am so excited! I will go on vacation every year!" The other two contestants each won $25,000. Gonzales was in shock as her family joined her on stage as she showed off the oversized check for $2,080,000.
Bezhan Moqimi
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This week's finalist at the California Gold game was Bezhan Moqimi, an insurance agent from Corona who won $100,000. Moqimi said, "I want to travel to Hawaii with my prize." Moqimi bought his lucky ticket at KNT Market in Corona. The second runner-up from the California Gold round is Drew Olesen, a network manager from Ukiah, who wins $5,000.
California Gold is another way to get to the wheel on "The Big Spin". The game starts with 10 contestants whose Big Spin Scratchers® tickets each 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" prize wheel, while the other contestant wins $5,000.
Bill Barteld
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Fantasy 5 contestants won a total of $95,000 on this week's show. The first Fantasy 5 contestant was Bill Barteld, a gas company worker from Simi Valley who won $75,000. Barteld said, "My wife will use some of the money for a shopping spree." Barteld purchased his ticket at Belwood Liquor in Simi Valley. Next up at the Dream Machine was Gary Foster, a retiree from El Cajon who won $20,000. Foster said, "I will go on a cruise with my winnings." Foster bought his winning ticket at Town & Country Liquor in El Cajon. 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.
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, 34.7 percent to public schools and 13.3 percent for administrative expenses, which includes 6.8 percent for retailer commissions. Since 1985, the Lottery has raised more than $13 billion for public schools. The Lottery's contribution equals approximately 2 percent of the state's total education budget. "The Big Spin®" is the longest running Lottery game show in the country, airing continuously since 1985.
| NAME |
CITY |
AMOUNT |
|
| Lupe Gonzales |
San Jose |
$2,080,000 |
| Bezhan Moqimi |
Corona |
$100,000 |
| Bill Barteld |
Simi Valley |
$75,000 |
| Gary Foster |
El Cajon |
$20,000 |
| Other Twice As Grand Contestants |
|
$50,000 |
| Other California Gold Contestants |
|
$22,500 |
| TOTAL |
$2,347,500 |
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