Illinois Lottery Launches New Instant Game Awards $250,000 Instant Prizes, Raises Funds for Special Olympics Athletes

CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illinois Legislature has designated a special lottery instant game to benefit training programs sponsored by the Special Olympics Illinois and Special Children's Charities.  The new Special Olympics Ticket instant lottery game was introduced today at Soldier Field in Chicago, the site of the first international Special Olympic summer games held in July 1968.  

The first-in-the-nation Special Olympics Ticket costs $5, and is expected to raise about $2 million to benefit programs that serve over 40,000 Special Olympics athletes in Illinois. The game offers four top instant prizes of $250,000 each; fifteen $5,000 prizes; and four hundred $1,000 prizes and an identical prize structure typical of all $5 lottery instant games. All net proceeds, after prize payouts and expenses, benefit Special Olympics sports training programs in Illinois.  

The Special Olympics Lottery game was created last year by the Illinois General Assembly. The legislation enjoyed strong bipartisan support led by sponsors, State Sens. Mattie Hunter (District 3) and Bill Cunningham (District 18), and State Reps. Fran Hurley (District 35) and Dan Burke (District 1).

"The Special Olympics instant ticket is a classic example of what a lottery is all about," said Illinois Lottery Director Michael Jones. "Choosing to buy a $5 Special Olympics instant ticket allows citizens 18 and older to support the Special Olympics with the knowledge that if the ticket is not a $250,000 instant winner, the decision to purchase the ticket will benefit Illinois' special Olympians. We invite everyone who is interested in this great cause to track who wins and where the money goes on our website: IllinoisLottery.com."  

"We are incredibly grateful for the launch of the first-ever Special Olympics lottery ticket, and thankful for the strong support received from Illinois legislators," said Dave Breen, President and CEO of Special Olympics Illinois. "Funds raised from this ticket will lead to further innovation and program growth, and expand opportunities for current and future generations of Special Olympics Illinois athletes, their families and volunteers throughout Illinois."

"We are excited to be a beneficiary of the new Lottery scratch off ticket," said Dr. Casey Hogan, president of Special Children's Charities. "The money raised from ticket sales will enable us to expand the sports training programs we offer through our partners in the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Board of Education. We are grateful for bipartisan support we received in Springfield from the legislators who sponsored and voted for the lottery bill benefiting Special Olympics in Illinois."

The Lottery's new $5 Special Olympics Instant Ticket is available at more than 8,100 Illinois Lottery retailers throughout the state.  It joins other special games that provide funds for Illinois veterans, the fight against breast cancer, assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS, and research efforts into the cause and cure of multiple sclerosis.  Since 2006, when the first legislatively mandated special cause instant game was introduced, the Lottery has raised nearly $36 million for causes ticket buyers decided to support.

For more information on The Special Olympics Ticket game please visit IllinoisLottery.com.

About Illinois Lottery
Founded in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has contributed over $18 billion to the state's Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to the Capital Projects Fund and to special causes like Illinois veterans, the fight against breast cancer, MS research, assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS and Special Olympics. In addition to playing in-store, the Illinois Lottery offers online and mobile play for Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto and Lucky Day Lotto at IllinoisLottery.com. Players must be at least 18 years old.

About Special Olympics Illinois
Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit organization offering year-round training and competition in 19 sports for nearly 22,000 traditional athletes with intellectual disabilities and nearly 21,000 Young Athletes ages 2-7 with and without intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics transforms the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, allowing them to realize their full potential in sports and in life. Special Olympics programs enhance physical fitness, motor skills, self-confidence, social skills and encourage family and community support. If you are interested in learning more about Special Olympics Illinois, volunteering or providing financial support to help make Special Olympics programs possible, contact your local Special Olympics agency, call 800-394-0562 or visit our website at soill.org.

About Special Children's Charities
Special Children's Charities has been supporting Special Olympics Chicago programs since 1969. Created by Jack McHugh, Special Children's Charities' primary mission is to promote, foster and encourage physical and mental health and improvement for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and closely related developmental disabilities.

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SOURCE Illinois Lottery

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