Gopher 5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gopher 5 is an exclusive lottery for the state of Minnesota, named after the Minnesota Golden Gophers, operated by the Minnesota State Lottery. It is currently the most popular lottery game that is exclusive to the state. Gopher 5 was established May 22, 1991.
[edit] Playing the game
To play the game, a player pays one dollar and picks five distinct numbers from 1 to 47. The player wins according to the following:
| Matches | Payoff | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 2 of 5 numbers | $ 1 | 1: 13 |
| 3 of 5 numbers | $ 15 | 1: 178 |
| 4 of 5 numbers | $ 500 | 1: 7,304 |
| 5 of 5 numbers | Jackpot | 1: 1,533,939 |
Overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 12.
The jackpot is paid in cash and will be divided equally if there is more than one winner. The minimum jackpot amount for a drawing is $100,000.
Tickets must be purchased before 6:10 p.m. to be eligible for that day's drawing at 6:25 p.m.
Gopher 5 drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday evening.
[edit] Largest payoff
The largest drawing in the history of Gopher 5 was held on November 8, 2005. The Jackpot was $2,000,000 cash; it had been building in size since August 30 after 20 consecutive drawings in which zero tickets purchased matched all five numbers.
