BOISE, Idaho ÔÇô It's all orange all the time. The wait is nearly over for the most anticipated Idaho Lottery game of the year. The Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle - the popular Idaho-only draw game guaranteed to make one lucky player a millionaire before New Year's Eve, makes its return on October 15, 2010. Tickets go on sale at 4:00 a.m. Mountain Time. Just like the three previous editions of this popular game, tickets will cost $10 each and the Idaho Lottery will only sell 250,000.

"The Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle has always sold out before the draw date in each of its first three years we've made it available," said Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director. "This game represents the best odds for an Idaho Lottery player to win $1,000,000."

This year's game features a total of 2,505 prizes. Each prize in the game represents the best odds of winning ever offered by the Idaho Lottery. In addition to the top prize of $1,000,000, there are four prizes of $25,000 and 2,500 other prizes ranging from $50 to $250.

Each year since this game has been offered, the Idaho Lottery has received numerous phone calls and emails from players asking why Ping-Pong balls are not used to select the winning numbers. During the announcement held at Center Ice at Qwest Arena in downtown Boise, the Idaho Lottery demonstrated why they use their certified and licensed random number generator instead of Ping-Pong balls to draw each of the 2,505 total prizes.

"This game is different than Powerball or Mega Millions where there are only 50 to 60 numbers that need to be chosen," explained Anderson. "With the Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle, you would need 250,000 uniquely numbered Ping-Pong balls, each with an equal chance of being selected as the top winner. Each prize must be drawn from the same pool of balls using the exact same method. In addition, each individual ball would have to be officially weighed and measured, tested and certified prior to the drawing. Logistically, this would represent a tremendous challenge."

The Idaho Lottery, with the cooperation of the Idaho Steelheads, placed a clear plastic bag filled with 2,505 orange Ping-Pong balls, leaving it hanging about 30 feet above the ice sheet at Qwest Arena.

"This bag of Ping-Pong balls represents the total number of winners in this year's Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle," said Anderson. "In order to conduct the draw, we would need 100 times more balls than this and the ability to measure which of the 2,505 fell first in consecutive order to the ice."

With the pull of pre-tied rope, Anderson let loose a thundering cascade of orange Ping-Pong balls to the ice below.

"As you can see, there is no clear way to determine which ball landed where, when, first or second," continued Anderson on the demonstration. "Using our Random Number Generator is the most efficient, fair and truly random-method for selecting our 2,505 total winners for this year's raffle draw."

The use of Random Number Generators (RNG) is now a national and international standard for lotteries, ensuring the fairness and integrity of a draw as well as removing human error factors. The Idaho Lottery's state-of-the-art Random Number Generator has it's 'randomness' certified by Gaming Laboratories Inc., a global independent gaming equipment testing corporation. The Idaho Lottery uses their RNG daily for the draw games Idaho Pick 3 and Double Play Daily.

After the demonstration, the orange Ping-Pong balls were collected by the Idaho Steelheads staff and will be used for an Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle on-sale promotion during the Steelheads game on October 15, 2010 against the Victoria Salmon Kings at Qwest Arena.

Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle tickets will remain on sale until December 29, 2010 at 11:59 a.m. or when the last ticket is sold, whichever occurs first. Once all 250,000 of the tickets are sold, no more will be issued. The winning numbers announcement will take place on December 29, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The $1,000,000 top prize and the four $25,000 prizes must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters in Boise. All other prizes in the game may be claimed at Lottery retail locations beginning at 6 p.m. Mountain Time on December 29, 2010.

Starting October 15, 2010 at 4 a.m., it's an orange out! You in?

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