StatewideThursday, November 5
Montana Millionaire sales are on hold after a glitch handed out thousands of instant prizes
The Good Day Billings team
If you grabbed a Montana Millionaire ticket Sunday, hang onto it. The Montana Lottery's new gaming system went down soon after sales opened at 5:30 a.m. When it came back, instant wins were awarded far more often than designed. Sales are on hold, and there's no new date yet.
Sunday's glitch handed out instant prizes far too often
- $608,600
- in unexpected instant prizes
- 2,010
- tickets that triggered instant prizes
- 1 in 6
- odds of an instant win Sunday morning
- 1 in 74
- normal odds of an instant prize
Source: Montana State News Network
Of roughly 13,000 tickets sold that morning, 2,010 won instant prizes: 991 won $100 and 1,019 won $500. Lottery Director Bob Brown said it was "the worst scenario that we could have imagined." Vendor Bally's Intralot will cover the $608,600, and the lottery will honor every Sunday instant win.
- Sunday tickets: still valid for the six $1 million drawings
- Price: $20 a ticket, with 720,000 tickets this year
- Sunday's instant wins get added back when sales resume
Montana Millionaire dates run through late December
- Nov. 1Sales open at 5:30 a.m., and the system fails soon after.
- Nov. 30The $250,000 Quarter Million Monday drawing is set.
- Dec. 27Final deadline to buy tickets, as set before the pause.
- Dec. 28Six $1 million grand prizes and a $20,000 drawing are set.
Source: KTVQ