World’s shortest lottery lasted just 10 draws
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The Monopoly Millionaires' Club was a lottery game that began in October 2014. The game offered various prizes, including the possibility to win $1 million through the Millionaires' Club Number, which was drawn only if the jackpot was won.
The odds of winning any prize were approximately 1 in 10, with the only jackpot win occurring during its third drawing on November 7, 2014, when a player from New Jersey won $21 million.
Only jackpot winner
This winning ticket earned the anonymous holder a top prize of $21 million and was bought from Highland General Store, Inc. in Highland Lakes, Sussex County.
The jackpot win also triggered an additional 14 $1 million prizes that were distributed across various states. The winning numbers for that draw were 1, 9, 11, 12, and 27, with Property Number 18, B&O Railroad.
Why game failed
The game featured a multi-state draw with 22 states and the District of Columbia participating at the launch.
Nine more states were expected to join in 2015. However, the game faced challenges due to its complexity and a $5 ticket price, which were factors that led to its suspension following low ticket sales.
The draw game was suspended after only 10 drawings due to these issues, and the Texas Lottery was the first to announce its withdrawal from the game on December 12, 2014.
Despite the initial excitement and the effort put into developing the game, the lack of player response led to its downfall.
Game revived in 2015
There was some discussion of revising the game concept, which did indeed happen when the Monopoly Millionaires' Club was revived as a series of scratch-and-win games.
Here players could win the opportunity to participate in a Monopoly Millionaires' Club game show taping.
The game show, hosted by Billy Gardell, premiered in March 2015 and featured contestants playing Monopoly-inspired games to win up to $100,000 each, with the possibility of risking their winnings for a chance to win $1 million.
The final episode of the game show aired on April 30, 2016, and during its lifespan, only 4 contestants won the $1 million grand prize.
