Thistledown Racino Opening April 9!

The Video Lottery Terminals at ThistleDown Racino got a workout this week during a control demonstration, and next Tuesday the games will be open to the public!

ThistleDown has been around since 1925, but it has undergone an $88 million renovation that created a 57,000 sq. ft. gaming space with dining options and entertainment space. The gaming floor has 1,100 VLTs. Patrons will get the chance to walk through the doors of the newly renovated space on April 9, 2013 at 5 p.m. when ThistleDown Racino celebrates its grand opening. American Idol winner Taylor Hicks will kick off the festivities with a concert on opening night.

ThistleDown’s history is in horse racing, and simulcast racing is still available year round. The horse racing season kicks off April 19 and runs through November at Thistledown’s one-mile oval racetrack.

ThistleDown Racino will be the second to open under the VLT program overseen by the Ohio Lottery. Scioto Downs in Columbus opened last June.

Follow the link to learn more about ThistleDown Racino! http://www.caesars.com/thistledown/

What Happened During the Drawing?

When you’re doing live TV, anything can happen. Last night it did. Karen Kawolics was doing the live Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 drawings when suddenly at the end she stopped talking and seemed to sway a little when one of the crew members stepped in and walked her off camera. Social media lit up right away with comments of concern for Karen’s health, so I wanted to update everyone and let you know that Karen is a little under the weather but she’s feeling better!

Karen is home today recovering from the flu. She got through the Rolling Cash 5 drawing which is taped first for the web. Just before the live drawing at 7:30 she started feeling dizzy and sweaty, but she pushed through!

“I think it was a combination of nerves and feeling like I might get sick. I am glad and surprised I read the numbers correctly. By the time I got to the Pick 5 I felt like I might faint and completely zoned out. I don’t even remember Ryan (one of the crew members) coming to get me,” she said.

Karen says everyone was kind to her after the incident, and she is thankful to them and all of the viewers who were worried about her.

“I truly appreciate all the concern from the public. It’s nice to live in a state with so many good and caring people! I want everyone to know that I am completely fine. I just have a flu bug,” Karen said.

Get well soon, Karen!

New Playbook Coming Soon!

Did you like the Lucky 7′s Playbook? Someone did, because it was our number one selling $20 instant ticket for more than 19 weeks! Now it’s time for a new playbook, and this time it’s all about the multiplier.

On April 12 the Mega $$$ Multiplier Playbook will be on sale at your favorite Ohio Lottery retailer!The Mega $$$ Multiplier Playbook gives you six games with chances to multiply your prize by five, ten, 20, 50 and even 100 times! You could win up to $250,000!

Cash Explosion online entry just got better

If you could save time, the cost of postage and earn more chances to win, would you do it? Sounds like a win, win, win!  Starting March 18, when you enter your ticket for the upcoming Cash Explosion contestant drawing, use online entry.

As an online entrant, your ticket will be part of monthly bonus drawings for $100 and $1,000 prizes, and one special quarterly drawing for a single large prize!

What’s not to like about that?

Bonus drawings begin later this spring. Please note:  only current, non-expired entry tickets are eligible.

As of March 2013, that means Cash Explosion #878 and Cash Explosion #129 (starting March 18, 2013)  are eligible for bonus drawings.  Learn more here: http://www.cashexplosionshow.com/home/

Good luck!

Cash Explosion #129, on sale March 18.

Thank You Cash Explosion!

Melani Sprout, a contestant on the Dec. 22 Cash Explosion show, took the time to write to Ohio Lottery staff and share thoughts about her recent show experience.  An excerpt of her note is below.

Cash Explosion contestant, Melani Sprout

Join in the fun by tuning into Cash Explosion at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays on your local Ohio Lottery carrier station network!

 Good Afternoon Ken,

I just wanted to take a few minutes to really tell you and the rest of the amazing lottery gang how truly grateful Keith and I are for our experience with the Cash Explosion show!

 …Many people have said to me how lucky I am to have won $100,000.00 and yes I feel truly blessed. But I felt that the whole experience was just more than winning money. I met some really amazing people while I was down recording the show. I felt so privileged to have met the other contestants and to have heard their stories and to have shared mine as well.

 …When we came back from taping the show a few weeks later we paid off all of our debt and for the first time ever planned a family vacation to Florida! 

 …We are still both working 2 jobs and my cleaning business has picked up 3 new customers, so we are staying busy, but a financial burden has certainly been lifted off of our shoulders.

 …I really wanted to say to all of you “Thank You So Very Much”.

 Sincerely,

Melani A. Sprout 

Coming up on Cash Explosion!

Tonia Robinson of Youngstown had some bills to pay with her winnings, but she really wanted to go to Jamaica. She won enough to take care of the bills and when she hit the $25,000 Cash Bonus Square she told Sharon, “Jamaica, here I come!” She was so excited when she won the Cash Bonus Square and even more excited when she went on to win the Semi Final Game. Instant tears and the celebration began for Tonia. There’s lots more excitement on Cash Explosion! Check it out every Saturday night 7:30!

Coming Up on Cash Explosion!

You could do a lot of things with your Cash Explosion winnings. Some people pay off their bills, some buy a new car, and some go shopping but on tomorrow’s show the winnings are all about the kids. Three contestants on the show say they will use their winnings for a trip to Disney World!

Ann Finesman of Cincinnati surprised her grandkids by telling them during her second turn in the semifinal game! The grandkids sitting in the audience screamed with excitement after hearing the news!

The surprise was on Jay Mitchell of Follansbee, West Virginia when he mentioned that the winnings were going to help pay for a family vacation to Disney World. His kids cheered at the surprise news, and so did a few others in the audience who hoped to convince Jay to let them take the trip too!

Elaine Aranyosi of Toledo wanted to use her winnings to return to Disney World. She was at Disney on that fateful day in September 2001, so she wants to go back to make it a happier experience.

Find out just how much they won Saturday, February 16 at 7:30pm on Cash Explosion!