Connecticut Lottery Now Sells Scratch-Off Tickets Honoring UConn Basketball Wins

Posted on: January 7, 2025, 03:51h. 

Last updated on: January 7, 2025, 03:51h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

The Connecticut Lottery has started to sell scratch-off tickets which promote the many national championships won by UConn basketball teams.

The limited-edition Championship scratch-off tickets began selling on Monday for $5 each at more than 2,800 retail locations throughout the state.

Lottery players may have up to $3.5M in winnings. The three top prizes in the game are $50K each.

It’s a great evolution, I think, for us — working with UConn. And we are also leaning into that ‘basketball capital of the world’ designation that UConn and the governor’s office had worked on,” Brett Steen, senior director of marketing at the Connecticut Lottery, recently told New Haven TV station WTNH.

The total number of available tickets in the game are 1,026,500, according to the Connecticut Lottery. The overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.54.

Winners need to match their numbers to any of the winning numbers. By scratching off a “2X,” players will win two times the prize shown. With a “3X,” players will win three times the prize shown. That’s also applicable for a “5X” which results in winning five times the prize, as well as for a “10X,” which results in winning 10 times the prize.

Controversy Created

Last year, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, D, approved placing signs on some of the state’s highways which read, “Welcome to Connecticut, Home of the Basketball Capital of the World.” They are on interstate highways such as I-91, I-84, and I-395, which are close to the Massachusetts border.

The signs weren’t well-received by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, D.

That’s because even though numerous college basketball national championships have been won by UConn’s men’s and women’s teams, neighboring Massachusetts is also known for the sport.

Springfield, Mass. is where basketball was invented. The game was created by Springfield College instructor and graduate student James Naismith in 1891. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame also is housed in Springfield. In addition, the Boston Celtics have won 18 NBA championships. The pro team plays home games at the TD Garden.

UConn Known for Winning

UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley called the location of UConn’s main campus in Storrs, the “Basketball Capital of the World.”

As of last year, UConn won 17 NCAA basketball national championships between the men’s and women’s teams.

This 2024-25 season, the UConn men’s basketball team is currently ranked ninth among college teams. The team’s current record is 12 and 3.

The UConn women’s basketball team is currently ranked seventh among college teams in the 2024-25 season. The team’s current record is 13 and 2.

The UConn teams also often play in Hartford, as well as sometimes in New York City. Now playing in the Big East, speculation is building if UConn will be offered membership in either the Big 12 or ACC in future conference realignment.