Texas Lottery is first to send 4 scratch-off winners into space
/Big news for all lottery fans and space enthusiasts! The Texas Lottery has announced a thrilling new scratch-off game.
But this isn't just any ordinary game - it's a ticket to space!
Four lucky winners, along with a guest each, will get the chance to soar 100,000 feet above the Earth for six hours in a giant balloon gondola.
This off-the-planet journey is set for 2025, as confirmed by the Texas Lottery and Space Perspective, the space travel company teaming up for this adventure.
The game, named "$1,000,000 Cash Blast," gives participants a chance to win a top prize of $1 million for a $20 ticket.
Players begin by revealing six winning numbers at the top of the ticket, then matching these numbers within a 35-space grid.
This launch is part of the Space Perspective Cash Adventure Promotion, making the Texas Lottery the first in the world to include space travel in its prize offerings.
GARY GRIEF
"The Texas Lottery is always looking for new and creative ways to reward Texans with memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences," said Gary Grief, Executive Director of the Texas Lottery (right).
From the pool of entries, 75 individuals will be selected. Out of these, four will be chosen for a private space flight with a guest of their choice.
The flight will be onboard the Spaceship Neptune, launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The experience is designed to be accessible without the hard training usually associated with space travel.
The winners will enjoy a two-hour flight featuring luxury amenities such as reclining captain's chairs, a fully catered meal, and an unobstructed 360-degree view of the Earth and stars.
During the flight, one of the four space travelers will be selected to win an extra $100,000, dubbed "the highest cash prize ever awarded at the edge of space."
The capsule is equipped with WiFi, allowing guests to stay connected with friends and family during their journey.
The ascent and return to Earth is under a hydrogen balloon, which will gently lower the capsule back at a speed of 12 mph, finishing with a splashdown near Cape Canaveral.
From there, the space travelers will be transported back to the mainland by Space Perspective's Marine Spaceport Voyager ship, described as "the world's first marine spaceport for human flight."
Tickets for this extraordinary space trip are already available for purchase at lottery retailers and online at txlotteryluckzone.com.
The drawings started on Jan 1, 2024, and will continue through at least March, with specific end dates yet to be announced by the Texas Lottery.
In addition to the grand prizes, the Texas Lottery will conduct a random draw for 1,720 tickets, each winning a $100 Visa Reward debit card. These winners will also be entered into the $1,000,000 Cash Blast trip prize drawing.
As well, 75 winners will receive a virtual reality (VR) headset loaded with space-themed titles and a custom Space Perspective VR experience.
They will also be treated to a trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida.
This includes:
$1,200 travel allowance for themselves and a guest,
Hotel accommodation,
Exclusive access to a pre-launch party for the Spaceship Neptune.
The experience also features a private tour, a luncheon at the Kennedy Space Center, and additional opportunities to win up to $1 million.
The highlight of the event will be the "Right Stuff Party," featuring an appearance by former U.S. International Space Station Commander Chris Cassidy and a private concert by a big-name musical artist.
This groundbreaking event by the Texas Lottery offers an unprecedented prize for state lotteries and private space travel.
Aspiring space explorers and lottery enthusiasts now have the opportunity to experience the final frontier firsthand, in what promises to be a remarkable and historic adventure.
