MICHIGAN
The Michigan Lottery plans to improve its system of notifying players of remaining prize money after media attention revealed people are purchasing tickets when the top prize is no longer available.
Five of the 38 instant games in Michigan no longer had top prizes as of Wednesday but instant tickets advertising the already claimed prize were still being sold.
Gary Peters, commissioner for the Michigan Lottery, said newsletters detailing the remaining prize money for instant tickets will now be sent to retailers weekly, instead of monthly.
Lottery officials said the additional newsletters will improve timeliness of the information and reach people who do not have access to the Internet.
Information on remaining prizes also is updated on the Internet, which gets 4 million hits a month, Peters said.
"We're going to make it as easy as we possibly can for people to get that information," he said.
But some feel the lottery should pull the tickets from the market once the top prize is claimed, because customers expect a chance at the big prize.
Chris Perryman, a cashier at 7-Eleven, 210 Michigan Ave., said some people who purchase the tickets are happy winning $5, but most are hoping for the jackpot.
"Once the grand prize is won, they should stop running the ticket," Perryman said.