Maine (WABI) - The Maine lottery is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and adding a new instant game to celebrate.

50th anniversary instant tickets are now available statewide in $1, $2 and $5 versions.

The top prize on the $5 ticket is $100,000.

Over the last 50 years, the Maine lottery has paid out more than $4.7 billion in winnings.

Lottery sales have generated over $1.7 billion dollars for Maine’s general fund.

Wanna win big? Maine lottery celebrates 50 years with a new game

Tickets for the new instant game are now available

https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-lottery-celebrates-50-years-new-game/61109412

MAINE —

The Maine Lottery is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and is adding a new instant game to celebrate.

The Maine Lottery 50th Anniversary instant tickets are now available statewide in $1, $2 and $5 versions. The top prize on the $5 ticket is $100,000.

Over the last 50 years, the Maine Lottery has paid out more than $4.7 billion in winnings, with Maine retailers earning more than $518 million in commissions. Lottery sales have generated over $1.7 billion for Maine’s General Fund.

In Jan. 2023, the single winning ticket for a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot was sold in Maine. The winner came forward the next month and accepted their winnings through the limited liability company LaKoma Island Investments, LLC and chose a one-time, lump sum, cash option payment of $723,564,144 before taxes.

Maine Lottery began operations in 1974, and Gov. Kenneth M. Curtis drew the first lottery numbers, which were printed on large rubber balls and drawn from a gumball machine, on June 27, 1974.

Here is a look at some of the growth of the Maine Lottery:

• 1975 — The first Maine Lottery instant ticket, “The Great Outdoors,” was introduced
• 1980 — Pick 3 game introduced
• 1985 — Pick 4 game introduced
• 1985 — Maine enters into a compact with New Hampshire and Vermont to create the first-ever multi-state lottery organization called Tri-State Lotto and launched Tri-State Megabucks
• 1993 — Maine Lottery became the first lottery to print its instant tickets on completely recyclable and biodegradable paper.
• 2005 — Maine joins multi-state draw game Powerball
• 2010 — Maine joins multi-state draw game Mega Millions
• 2012 — Maine joins other New England states in first regional draw game, Lucky for Life
• 2024 — Maine Lottery introduces Cash POP
• https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-lottery-celebrates-50-years-new-game/61109412