MAY 9, 2012 — Lisa Bottem of Thief River Falls had the chance to win up to $100,000 in the Lottery’s Match 3 event during an episode of “Twin Cities Live” on KSTP-TV in St. Paul on May 4.

Bottem ultimately won the guaranteed $10,000 prize after playing an on-stage game with co-hosts John Hanson and Elizabeth Reis. She picked three numbers out of 30 with the hopes of revealing three gold coins, which would have been worth $100,000. In the end, she revealed three green coins to win the $10,000 prize.

Bottem explained that she had a hard time narrowing down which numbers she was going to choose. “I knew I wanted to pick 27 right away because that’s my birthday and my dad’s birthday and my anniversary. Then I picked 9 because my older son said that was the number he would like me to choose and then I went for 16 because my mom was a big Joe Montana fan and that’s his number.

“It was really exciting,” she said of her live, on-stage appearance. “I would have liked to win more, but I am very, very, very, very happy.” Bottem says she hopes to use part of her winnings to take a trip with her husband to Las Vegas to celebrate their 10^th anniversary.

She won the opportunity to play the Match 3 game by entering the Million $$ Match second-chance promotion through the Lottery’s Players Club. Learn more about the Million $$ Match scratch game and second-chance promotion.

MARCH 31, 2012 — The Mega Millions jackpot run that began on Jan. 24 and concluded with the record $640 million jackpot on March 30 generated $5.2 million for the Lottery’s beneficiaries in Minnesota.

Minnesota State Lottery players won $1,847,542 on 179,363 winning tickets. Four of these tickets each won $250,000. They were sold in Crow Wing, Hennepin, Nobles and Ramsey counties. 

“There was a lot of excitement associated with this jackpot, and the money generated for the recipients of the revenue is often overlooked,” said Lottery Executive Director Ed Van Petten. “The $5.2 million that was transferred to the State will benefit all Minnesotans, whether it’s from services supported by the General Fund or environmental projects that receive funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Game & Fish Fund and Natural Resources Fund.”

The $5.2 million was directed as follows:

• $2.9 million - General Fund
  The General Fund supports state services, including public education, local government assistance, transportation, public safety and environmental protection.
• $1.7 million - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund
  The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund preserves, restores and enhances Minnesota’s natural resources, including improvements to state parks, the construction of state trails, enhanced hunting and fishing habitat and research to improve Minnesota’s environment.
• $300,757 - Game and Fish Fund
  Money from the Game and Fish Fund is spent on activities that improve, enhance and protect fish and wildlife resources, including conservation, restoration and enhancement of land, water and other natural resources of the state.
• $300,757 - Natural Resources Fund
  Parks and trails, and the Duluth, Como, and Minnesota zoos benefit from the Natural Resources Fund.

MARCH 23, 2012 — Three members of a North Mankato family have stepped forward to claim the $2.99 million Hot Lotto jackpot from the March 14, 2012 drawing. Thomas H. Browne, his son Lee Browne and his daughter Elaine Pleiss presented the winning ticket at Lottery headquarters in Roseville yesterday afternoon.

Thomas said he heard an announcement on the radio that the winning Hot Lotto jackpot ticket for March 14 was sold in Nicollet County. He checked his quick-pick ticket and discovered it matched the winning numbers of 1-6-13-25-27 and the Hot Ball of 15 to win the $2.99 million jackpot. “Don’t ask me how many times I checked it!” Thomas said of the winning ticket.

Lee heard the same radio broadcast and thought, “I wonder if it’s Dad.” He learned later that his father did indeed win the jackpot when Thomas stood in Lee’s garage and asked him, “Is your truck paid off?” Lee said he had a couple of years left when his dad told him about the jackpot win.

Elaine learned of her father’s win on the telephone. She said her reaction to the news was, “‘No way!’ He said, ‘No, really I did!’ I went to the living room and told my boyfriend, ‘Dad won the Lottery!’”

The cash option is $2.21 million before tax withholding.

PJ’s Liquor, 407 Belgrade Ave. in North Mankato, sold the winning ticket and will receive a $10,000 bonus.

This is Minnesota’s 10^th Hot Lotto jackpot win and the second since January. Don Conrad of Grand Rapids won a $2.61 million jackpot on Jan. 14, 2012.