It’s officially NFL kickoff week.
Football fans across the US will rejoice in the return of action on the gridiron.
The lottery industry isn’t immune to the excitement.
Many state lotteries throughout the country have partnered with fellow NFL teams for exclusive football-themed games.
While most are scratch tickets, some states with online lotteries are also producing iLottery instant options.
Michigan iLottery features Detroit Lions games
One state with NFL ties to its online product is the Michigan online lottery.
Starting today, the Michigan Lottery introduced three games that feature a Detroit Lions theme.
There is a $5 instant scratch game with a top prize of $500,000 and more than $23.5 million in total prizes.
There will also be a $1 pull-tab game with $1.4 million in prizes, including a top prize of $6,000.
The third option is the iLottery instant game, which features prizes up to $250,000.
This marks the first time the Michigan Lottery has had a game featuring the Detroit Lions since 2010. It couldn’t have picked a better time, as the Lions come into the season as one of the Super Bowl favorites.
New Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli talked about getting the partnership back in a press release:
“Coming off a historic season, everyone in Michigan is excited to see what the Detroit Lions do in 2024. I am very excited for our sponsorship and the launch of three Detroit Lions themed Lottery games, and we expect similar excitement for these games and the chance to win life-changing prizes up to $500,000!”
Pennsylvania offers Eagles, Steelers online lottery options
The Pennsylvania Lottery is taking advantage of its two NFL teams in the state.
Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers are featured in online games.
Simply titled “Steelers” and “Eagles,” each iLottery game offers players a chance to win up to $300,000.
Players can choose to play both games for as little as 50 cents and as much as $30.
Both NFL teams are also highlighted on fast play games for the Pennsylvania Lottery. Each has a $5 price point and a top prize of $50,000.
The fast play games offer second-chance promotions that are giving away game tickets to home games throughout the season.
Over 10 state lotteries with NFL connections
On top of the options that Michigan and Pennsylvania provide, other states are utilizing NFL teams for their retail lotteries.
Multiple state lotteries are partnered up with the teams in their state for exclusive scratch games. That includes the two franchises that will be involved in the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game, the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.
- Georgia: Atlanta Falcons ($5)
- Louisiana: New Orleans Saints ($5)
- Maryland: Baltimore Ravens ($2/$10)
- Minnesota: Minnesota Vikings ($5)
- Missouri: Kansas City Chiefs ($10)
- Texas: Dallas Cowboys ($5), Houston Texans ($5)
- Washington: Seattle Seahawks ($5)
- Washington D.C.: Washington Commanders ($5)
- Wisconsin: Green Bay Packers ($1/$5/$10)
In addition to life-changing top money prizes, many of these games also feature special second-chance drawings that provide NFL experiences.
Some of these promotions include:
- Gift cards to pro shops
- Autographed memorabilia
- Tickets to games
- Suite packages for games
- Draft Day War Room experiences
- Training camp experiences
- Season tickets
Iowa Lottery utilizing college football agreements
In states where NFL teams don’t exist, some have turned to college football.
The Iowa Lottery has been able to secure partnerships with both Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.
Each school has its own $5 scratch game that dons the respective school’s athletic logos.
Both also feature top prizes of $50,000 and have special second-chance promotions.
Those promos include tickets to games, VIP packages, pre-game field passes, and more.
Iowa State’s game even offers a second-chance promotion that will see the winner get tickets to watch the Cyclones play in Ireland.
Photo by Rick Osentoski / AP
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