Georgia Lottery Expands Online Product Selection
The Georgia Lottery has added new products to its selection of internet games. Diggi Games are now available to players that create an account at mygalottery.com.
The Georgia Lottery started marketing these games recently to its database of over 20,000 players. A $10 bonus was offered to entice players into giving the new offering a try.
Diggi Games are produced by GTECH. These games mimic scratch off lottery tickets. Computer animation is added to give the feel of playing an online casino game with the qualities typically found on a traditional lottery ticket. Players may click the portions of the ticket that reveal numbers or symbols. They may also simply choose “Instant Finish”, which will display the entire lottery ticket results at the same time.
There are some similarities between Diggi Games and online slot machines, although there are enough differences for the two to not fall into the same classification. Typical symbols used in slot machines are absent from Diggi Games. Slot machines also move much faster than these online lottery tickets. Diggi Games offer no bonus rounds. Nearly half of the tickets are simply free games that award the value of the iLottery ticket that may be withdrawn or put towards a new game.
Massive House Edge
One feature that sets Diggi Games completely apart from slots found at online casinos is the house edge. Typical online slots have a hold of about 5%. Diggi Games have an edge of at least six times that. This rivals the infamous fruit machines in the UK.
The Georgia Lottery discloses the remaining prizes available in each game. The odds of winning on any virtuak scratch off ticket are also announced in the rules.
There are a total of 10 virtual scratch off games available to Georgia Lottery players. Below is a sampling of the prizes, odds, and returns.
Sugar Cookies
- Cost per game: $.50
- Odds of winning any prize: 1 in 3.3
- House edge on remaining tickets: 39.4%
- Top prize: $250
- Odds of hitting top prize: 1 in 7,381
Cash Blizzard
- Cost per game: $1
- Odds of winning any prize: 1 in 3.15
- House edge on remaining tickets: 31.4%
- Top prize: $2,000
- Odds of hitting top prize: 1 in 173,952
Pinball
- Cost per game: $2
- Odds of winning any prize: 1 in 3.14
- House edge on remaining tickets available: 29.4%
- Top prize: $5,000
- Odds of hitting top prize: 1 in 182,106
Crystal Cashword
- Cost per game: $2
- Odds of winning: 1 in 3.04
- House edge on remaining tickets available: 30%
- Top prize: $5,000
- Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 56,720
Snow Globe Bonus
- Cost per game: $3
- Odds of winning: 1 in 3.45
- House edge on remaining tickets available: 29.6%
- Top prize: $10,000
- Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 50,367
To come up with the house edge on each game, we took the number of winning tickets still available and multiplied it by the odds of winning (between 3 and 3.45-1, depending on the game) to determine the number of tickets left to be sold. We then multiplied it by the price of the ticket to come up with the amount of revenue each game would generate once all remaining tickets are purchased. The advertised prize pool was then divided by the total revenue generated by the game.
In addition to these virtual pull tabs, keno and lotto tickets may also be purchased online through the Georgia Lottery. While Georgia has yet to legalize online poker, at least residents are able to play these house games with a 39% edge. Play responsibly!