Twisted as it may be, when the economy tanks, state lotteries capitalize on people’s fear and sell more game-of-chance tickets.
According to Ad Age, lotteries are also altering their messages to fit the times, connecting to entertainment properties and gaining traction in social media playgrounds.
Capitalizing on the country’s gas crisis, the Missouri Lottery has partnered with pump owners to offer gas discounts with the purchase of a $2 ticket.
The Tennessee Lottery partnered with Hollywood for the first time this year to tap the buzz around “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” with an instant-ticket game offering a chance to win up to $100,000 or movie-themed prizes.
The Nebraska Lottery set up a page where it uploads TV spots and Flickr photos of winners, while the Iowa Lottery offers regular updates on its page such as this one: “Whoa! The Powerball jackpot was not claimed yesterday, so the prize for the Wednesday, Sept. 24 drawing is an incredible $176 million!”
Nice to see my state representin’ in the bottom feeder category. Go MO!
You’d think “Show Me” staters would be reticent to play lotto, given their native skepticism.
Maybe “Show Me” now means “Show Me the Money.”
We’ve long since transmuted our skepticism into an unending desire for cheesy fries.
“Show Me the Cheesy Fries” it is.