Texas Lottery Ends Controversial Fun-5’s Scratch-Off Game
Wednesday October 22nd 2014Despite launching less than two months ago, the Texas Lottery has decided to end the Fun 5’s scratch-off game as it has generated a significant amount of controversy in its brief history. Players have expressed concerns about the game’s instructions and many have said that they are unclear, leading to confusion and anger as some ticket holders have mistakenly believed that they have won large prizes.
The game offers a top prize of $100,000 and contained five different games on the card. In the final game, players have to uncover three “5” symbols in a diagonal, horizontal or vertical to win the prize amount specified in the “prize” section they uncover. They could then scratch off a “5x Box” that could increase the amount of the prize won by a factor of five.
Some players uncovered the $100,000 in the “prize” section along with a 5x” multiplier and believed that they had won $500,000 - even though this prize is not offered in the game. Many of these disgruntled players believe that the wording on the last game is misleading. A Texas Lottery “watchdog”, Dawn Nettles, recently filed a petition against the Texas Lottery over the controversy and sought to depose the Commission and Gtech, who helps offer and design the games. Her own lawyer, Manfred Sternberg, is representing a group of winners who want the compensation they believe they deserve.
A press release from the Texas Lottery Commission stated that the game, described as a “a favorite of many lottery players around the state”, has averaged more than $3 million in sales each week. Having taken players’ feedback into account, and noting that opportunists “appear to be exploiting the situation”, Lottery officials made the decision to put an end to the game.
The game was called for closure on Tuesday October 21st, triggering a 45-day call period. Players will have until Friday December 5th of this year to purchase Fun 5’s tickets and any winning tickets must be redeemed by Wednesday June 3rd 2015.