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There’s no doubt that lottery commercials are entertaining. In fact, one commercial in the past from the New Zealand lottery commercial was so entertaining that movie makers supposedly incorporated it into a movie scene. According to Time Network Inc, the commercial inspired a scene from the 2002 film, “Slackers,” which starred Devon Sawa, Jason Segel, and Jason Schwartzman.  If you’ve seen the film, the commercial may seem a bit familiar:

And if you’re interested in seeing the inspired movie scene:

While it does seem that a lot of lottery ads are getting a bit more racy (who remembers NY Lottery’s Fat Wallet commercial?), they have managed to stray from media controversy  - until now. California had an ad that aired in April 2012 that featured a woman who was supposed to resemble “Lady Luck” and her luck strikes a man playing the lottery, quite literally. Take a look for yourself.

The California Legislative Women’s Caucus said that this ad inappropriately “glamorizes violence” because of the slapping scene. According to Russ Lopez, CA Lottery’s deputy director of corporate communications, while showing the ad to focus groups, “Nobody had an issue with it.” “(They) saw a metaphor for being struck by Lady Luck.” The CA Lottery quickly filmed an alternate version of the commercial that changes the ending just a tad. You can view the new commercial here.

What do you think? Did the ad go too far? Is the revamped version as effective?

Now that last year’s fiscal year is over, states have been reporting that this past year was their best year ever in sales! One state notably, Tennessee, saw a 10.2% jump in sales from the previous year, having a total of $1.31 billion in sales this past year. Lottery officials “continue to hone our business model, developing new and innovative product offerings for the playing public, expanding our retailer base, emphasizing customer service, and operating at all times with efficiency and the utmost integrity,” lottery President and CEO Rebecca Hargrove was quoted saying in a press release.

Florida had a record breaking $4.45 billion in sales, while California was not far behind with $4.4 billion. Countless other states also reported record numbers. The good news is that it looks like many states have not only given record numbers of payouts to players, but are also giving record number transfers to education programs. Hopefully this trend will continue. Some people seem to think it will. “I think we’re on the upward trend,” said California lottery Director Robert O’Neill, who was commenting on the current fiscal year and the plans his team and he have for the CA Lottery.

Oregon Lottery’s website boasts “When You Play, Oregon Wins,” and shows visitors how the price of their tickets fund projects to help their state. Not only does the Oregon lottery help fund education programs but also aids with watersheds, economic development, and state parks – who knew? So even if players don’t win big, Oregon residents still hit the jackpot! The website also even displays how the lottery funds are divided among the different efforts, which is information a lot of lotteries provide – and probably information that a lot of lottery players would like to know!

Have you seen those decoy ducks? Well, it looks like this guy has the same idea if he wins the lottery . . . sort of. Hopefully he won’t have to worry about TMZ finding him anytime soon. Check out the Missouri Lottery’s fun commercial!

Last month, Ohio welcomed the opening of its very first racino – a combination of slots and horse racing – at the Scioto Downs racing track in south Columbus. And so far it looks like it’s paying off . . . literally. The Scioto Downs facility netted $11 million in profits in its first month of operation. The money will be used to help fund K-12 education projects.

The interior of the horse track was updated with a sleek new look that now houses nearly 1,800 machines! There are currently 6 other horse racing tracks in the state of Ohio and it looks as if they may follow in Scioto Downs’ footsteps and offer video terminals in the future. And who can blame them?