SACRAMENTO – "The Big Spin®" Show celebrates its 18th anniversary with Hollywood flair! This popular game show is the longest running lottery game show in television history, airing continuously since 1985. The show airs every Saturday in 12 television markets statewide.
The California Lottery recently renovated its television program playing up the "Hollywood feel" of the show. The new set is brought to life with an exciting night time atmosphere, which includes dramatic lighting and set pieces that move to reveal the biggest prize wheel in the world. This is reality TV at its best…real people winning real money! The excitement of the show is the best part, watching contestants win big money to fulfill personal goals including down payments on homes, new cars, or starting college funds.
Adding to the excitement of "The Big Spin®" Show is "Aces High," the newest game, replacing "California Gold." Similar to "California Gold," ten contestants begin the game and two of those contestants advance to a second round. "Aces High" contestants will either win a dollar amount ranging from $1,750 to $4,000 or get one of two "Ace" cards. The two contestants that end up with an "Ace" card advance to the second round. The objective of the second round is to get a better hand than the opponent, the best hand being four of a kind. The contestant with the lower hand wins $5,000 and the contestant with the higher hand goes on to spin the wheel, for a chance to win $3 million!
Lucinda Rowe
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The contestant that won a chance to spin the prize wheel from the "Aces High" elimination round was Lucinda Rowe, a supervisor from Inglewood who won $40,000. Rowe, who bought her lucky ticket at Martino's Liquor in Inglewood, commented, "I'm going to buy a house and help my family with my prize money." The second runner-up from the "Aces High" round was James Hall, a retiree from Berkeley who won $5,000.
The "Fantasy 5 Dream Machine" contestants won a total of $135,000 on this week's show. The first "Fantasy 5 Dream Machine" contestant was Araxi Mikaelian from San Diego who won $85,000. Mikaelian, who purchased her ticket at Junior Liquor in San Diego, said, "I plan to travel to Armenia and remodel my kitchen with my winnings." The second "Fantasy 5 Dream Machine" contestant was Maria Grisco, a retiree from West Covina who won $50,000. Grisco, who bought her ticket at Jug and Jigger in West Covina, expressed, "I'm going to travel to Rome with my prize money."
Araxi Mikaelian
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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. Any contestant who gets one ball in each of the five slots wins the top prize, which is $150,000. Contestants appearing on this segment qualify by mailing an entry form to the Lottery after purchasing $5 of Fantasy 5 games on one playslip.
The Spin-Spin-Spin contestant on this week's show was Angelica Arciniega from Garden Grove who won $60,000. Arciniega, who purchased her ticket at ABC Liquor in Orange, said, "I plan to buy a house for my mom with my winnings." Arciniega bought a "Big Spin" Scratchers® ticket which revealed three "SPIN" symbols on one ticket. That lucky ticket entitled Arciniega to a direct trip to the prize wheel.
Exceeding its mandate to provide 34% of Lottery revenues to public education, in Fiscal Year 2002/2003, the California Lottery contributed $1 billion to public schools, for a third consecutive year.
| NAME |
CITY |
AMOUNT |
|
| Araxi Mikaelian |
San Diego |
$ 85,000 |
| Angelica Arciniega |
Garden Grove |
$ 60,000 |
| Maria Grisco |
West Covina |
$ 50,000 |
| Lucinda Rowe |
Inglewood |
$ 40,000 |
| Other Aces High Contestants |
|
$ 22,500 |
| TOTAL |
$ 257,500 |
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