2003 4th Quarter Press Releases

SACRAMENTO -- The California Lottery's "The Big Spin^®" show airs every Saturday in 12 television markets statewide. A total of $152,500 was won by contestants who appeared on the show airing Saturday, October 18, 2003.

Bill Nowling

The "Fantasy 5 Dream Machine" contestant appearing on this week's show was Bill Nowling, a retiree from San Diego who won $80,000! Nowling, who purchased his ticket at Anderson's Deli & Market in San Diego, said, "I plan to buy a sports utility vehicle with my winnings." Contestants on the "Fantasy 5 Dream Machine" game have up to five chances to launch a ball into one of the five bins in the pinball-type game. Each bin represents a cash amount. Prizes are cumulative, but only one ball may land in each bin to claim the prize amount. Contestants appearing on this segment qualify by mailing an entry form to the Lottery after purchasing $5 of Fantasy 5 games on one playslip.

Barbara Howard-Reed

The Spin-Spin-Spin contestant on this week's show was Barbara Howard-Reed, a housekeeper from Eureka who won $30,000. Reed, who bought her lucky ticket at Shell Petro Mart in Eureka, remarked, "I plan to buy a house with this money." Reed bought a "Big Spin" Scratchers^® ticket which revealed three "SPIN" symbols on one ticket. That lucky ticket entitled Reed to a direct trip to the prize wheel.

The contestant that won a chance to spin the prize wheel from the California Gold elimination round was John Avender, a retiree from Sacramento who won $20,000. Avender, who bought his lucky ticket at a Raley's store in Sacramento, commented, "I'm going to travel to Canada with this money." The second runner-up from the California Gold round was Cynthia Estrada, also from Sacramento, who won $5,000.

California Gold is another way to get to the wheel on "The Big Spin^®" show. 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 find 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.

The California Lottery sells its products through a network of more than 18,000 retail locations statewide. During Fiscal Year 2001/2002, the Lottery provided 51.9 percent of its revenues to players as prizes, 34.9 percent to public schools and 13.2 percent for administrative expenses, which included 6.8 percent for retailer commissions. In 2002 the California Lottery contributed $1 billion to public schools. The Lottery's contribution equals approximately 2 percent of the State's total education budget. "The Big Spin^®" television show is the longest running lottery game show in the country, airing continuously since 1985.