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Feeling Lucky? Florida Lottery Offers Twofer Deals

Tribune file photo (2008)

The stumbling economy has hit the Florida Lottery, with sales down about 7 percent compared with the same time last year.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 30, 2009

Updated: 03/30/2009 12:24 pm

TAMPA - Two-for-one offers frequently show up for groceries, drinks at happy hour or even entrees at early bird specials.

But lottery tickets? Not so often.

The Florida Lottery, though, has mailed coupons to every household in the state offering deals of buy one, get one free on scratch-off and online games, as well as discounts on other scratch-off tickets.

The coupons offer a free $1 scratch-off with the purchase of one and the same for a $2 ticket. There is the same deal for Fantasy 5 tickets and Mega Money as well as $2 off a $5 scratch-off ticket and $5 off a $20 Billion Dollar Blockbuster ticket.

The main goal is to attract new players and promote the Blockbuster scratch-off game, said Amanda Marquardt, a lottery spokeswoman. In all, 7.8 million fliers were mailed between March 21 and Friday.

It is only the second time in the lottery's 21-year history that the state has offered coupons. The first was a Valpak mailing in 1996, but that was not as large as this promotion, Marquardt said.

The state won't know the cost of the discounts until the lottery knows how many coupons have been redeemed. They expire May 16.

If every coupon is redeemed, it would cost the state $12 per household in free tickets or discounts.

Coupon offers have been used with some success in other states, Marquardt said.

The New York Lottery uses direct mailing to people who request to be included by signing up at a retailer or online, spokeswoman Jennifer Givner said.

The coupons are mailed periodically to 1.2 million people. On average, 50 percent of the coupons are redeemed, Givner said.

Florida needs to entice new players and boost sales.

The stumbling economy has hit the Florida Lottery, with sales down about 7 percent compared with the same time last year.

"We're not immune, like any other company that depends on discretionary dollars," Marquardt said.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731.

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