John Martin of Maryland Lottery gives Nestor details on the almost historic Mega Millions jackpot
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
lottery, people, maryland, play, mobile, jackpot, state, john, ravens, week, baltimore, chance, cincinnati, winners, other jurisdictions, years, win, prize, money, games
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Looking back at W n s t tests Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are positively back out on the Maryland crab cake tour we’re bringing to you on Thursday, we will be a G and a Coney Island. Hot dogs. Yes, having a crab cake and I’ve had both and they’re gonna be delicious. And he’s moved his business from Iowa town after Whitemarsh last year. He was a little too busy last summer. I’m gonna give him a hard time when I’m out there. We got some great guests joining us Mike Chu formula. WJC come by for some storytelling, the old pal Tony Delarosa is going to be joining us. It’s all presented by our friends at the Maryland lottery, I’ll be giving away some holiday cash drops as well as Ravenscraft shows only a handful left by the end of the month will be in the news scratch offs. Because it’s the 50th anniversary. John Martin joins us now from the Maryland lottery. He is directing things there into the new year. Oh man, we got football playoffs. We got a new governor coming in next week, we got 50th anniversary. But the most important thing, John is my wife came running into your five minutes before the show and said nobody hits the jackpot. Nobody hits the jackpot. I’m like, Listen, I’m getting ready for my Maryland lottery and the lottery.com. I said it’s 1.3 billion. And then she came around she’s no it’s not. It’s 1.3 5 billion. And I’m like the fives a lot. I mean, so John, welcome in. Are we? When does this thing become a record? It’s really getting there. Right?
John Martin 01:25
We can see it from here. Nestor. You know, if you stand on your tippy toes. You can see it from here. This is now the number two all time Mega Millions jackpot at 1.35. And yes, that’s correct. That five is important.
Nestor Aparicio 01:41
And that will be wrong by the time it draws. Right. Like it’d be more than that by then. Right?
John Martin 01:46
Oh, yeah, we would anticipate I mean, today, you know, Friday, we have some time in between when we’re recording this. And when the actual jackpot is, is selected.
Nestor Aparicio 01:57
It’s got a chance.
John Martin 01:59
It’s got a chance, I don’t know if he’s got chance to be number one. The number one jackpot. It was 1.537. In October of 2018. In South Carolina, one individual won that prize. So yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 02:13
when you say that it’s such a great movie in my mind, right? Like, what happened the minute that person won, and what, how it’s changed their life, hopefully for the better in many, many ways. But just like how incredible it will be, you know, at some point in the next day to couple of days, somebody wins this. And if it’s one person, especially, but there’s a chance it could be three or four people too, right?
John Martin 02:38
There’s a chance that you said movie, you got my interest. Do you see George Clooney playing the part of John Martin, I mean, myself in the monitor here,
Nestor Aparicio 02:46
I see it very black and white 1950, sort of not even sitcom just sort of happy Pleasantville sort of like, oh, you know, moment that you have, you know, things are taking a lot of your life concerns can be taken. Not all of them. But a lot of them can be because they you dream when you play this right? Well,
John Martin 03:08
if we’re going to dream this dream further, because at 1.35 the cash value and historically people opt for that $707.9 million cash value. And if that lucky winner, he or she or they happen to be Maryland residents, the state of Maryland would stand to benefit to the tune of 63.3 plus million dollars of tax revenue. welcome Governor elect more.
Nestor Aparicio 03:39
Well, you know, hang on a second. And I just want to ask this because I don’t get to ask this off because you’re on every week and we have fun here and there’s no script for what we do, which is why I love
John Martin 03:47
it. But wait, there’s there’s no script what Huh? Good page two page 2/3 column.
Nestor Aparicio 03:53
Um, you get, I don’t wanna say competitive about this, but you’ve been the Director of the Maryland lottery for a relatively short time against the 50 years and it’s been here right? That if this happened in Hancock or in Salisbury or in I don’t know Lycoming, you know what I mean like that. If it happens here you get to go to Sid royal farms said wise market said cost wherever it’s sold right? Hopefully wn st sponsor as well. But you get to go out through the pig check that everybody to have it in your state. It means a lot to you right like this would put the red light on on Monday morning and everybody in your place would go crazy. Because they pick Willy Wonka right like literally we got the golden ticket like literally right?
John Martin 04:40
I will tell you and you can let your mind wander this I will tell you the trash talking that goes on between lottery directors is second to none, including Lamar Jackson trashed second,
Nestor Aparicio 04:52
the state will get $64 million more because someone it’s in here and not in Delaware, Ohio, Pennsylvania, wherever they
John Martin 05:00
I mean, each each state’s tax rates are very different in some states they tax $0 Right lottery winnings. So you know, there’s There you go, we tend to be a little higher priced than than some of the other jurisdictions. We
Nestor Aparicio 05:16
do, too, though. I mean, I see what you did there side of that. I see what you did there you hate paying tolls, when I’m places and paying for roads and doing this and doing that we all we hate fees. We’re Americans for crying out loud. But there does come a point where the structure of government and taxes and Westmore will tell you all about this next week that there is take money and take on Uncle Larry did a good job of that let’s let’s a lot of money here from what I’m understanding right enough for the ravens to get money. I mean, they’re like we’re in pretty good shape. But part of that is that you give me the number last week you number 234 What’s the number that that lottery that sports wagering is gonna be more right than
John Martin 05:57
greater than lottery and gaming is number four on your hit parade in terms of the annual contributors to the state tax revenues. So behind the the the trifecta of taxes, sale, individual tax, sales, tax, corporate tax, and then Maryland lottery and gaming. Number four,
Nestor Aparicio 06:17
I’ve been doing this a long time. And I we always give buddy rugo A kiss when he’s on when we can talk about the buddy rugo room. But going back to even those days, even when I owned a business 10 years, and I’ve owned it 31 years that I never really correlated, like the benefit that if it happens here that the state gets $5 million added, like I had never, I that that is that’s a major thing. Like it really is. And I mean, that’s 10% of what Steve got last week on the football team. It’s a 60 million that’s a lot of money, that that’s at stake for the lottery too. That’s kind of a competitive fun thing.
John Martin 06:54
So we will keep fingers eyes and toes crossed. Try to walk that way but but keep everything crossed we can that things do fall again. And yeah, there is there is the the the wink wink nudge nudge between lottery directors, we have benefited over the years, there are some states that have never had a big winner. So you know, they would love to see their first this would be this would rank up there certainly for us. But it would be a lot of fun for a lot of people.
Nestor Aparicio 07:21
Absolutely. John Martin is here. He’s director I’m having as much fun as you are I just dreaming about when this happens for the Willy Wonka winner. And all this stuff has been while you’re getting winners all the time, I said sends me emails every week. There there was a million dollar winner here last week. And as anyone can claim that prize yet, John,
John Martin 07:40
you know what I don’t believe we have we were fortunate. And that’s that’s kind of the side benefit of these large jackpots is that, you know, we have nine prize tiers. So everyone’s focused on now 1.3 5 billion, but all the way down to $4. You know, we have people who win, you know, hundreds 1000s millions of dollars on other tier prizes in both Mega Millions and Powerball, which is no slouch at $360 million this week, as well. So yeah, there’s that’s why people should always check their ticket. They should always check NBA lottery.com For four results, and find out what they didn’t do, in fact, have a lower tier price and, and when we have stores like that we enjoy people talking about it. We have an individual here in Baltimore County who won $150,000 on their Powerball win, which means they also had the multiplier, the Powerball multiplier for their winnings, so they’re right. It’s an extra buck on both Powerball and Mega Millions. But you multiply your winnings. So in this case, this individual 150 $1,000, but they played the extra buck. And they have now a three times multiplier, so they win $150,000. So stories like that are always fun. You can see many of those stories at MD lottery.com.
Nestor Aparicio 08:55
Do you think that person plays all the time, they always play the extra dollar just in case?
John Martin 09:00
You know what I think that’s a habit that you get into pretty quickly and quickly when you see some success. Yeah, people will tend they’re creatures they feel they are creatures of habit. And another creature of habit thing is that we have people who also enjoy playing our second chance contests, even if you don’t have a noun or if you have a non winning ticket, you still may be able to submit them for for prizes, many times cash prizes. We just finished up our holiday Second Chance promotion contest based on our holiday ticket sales for the season. And the last drawing was last week or I’m sorry last night, and I don’t have the names here. But we had 10 Winners of cash prizes 520 $500 winners and 520 $5,000 winners so just when you thought the holidays were over the gift that keeps on giving. That’s
Nestor Aparicio 09:47
absolutely well he’s the gift that keeps on giving his football season. And I love how the NFL packages these things. They got a Monday night game now true Saturday, and I had to go through a season when it looked like The Ravens were eight and three, and we’re going to be playing this weekend. I’m like, I wonder when those games are what time those games will ultimately play a Monday night game. It’s super wildcard weekend here this weekend. And I know I mean, we have things to talk about that we’re getting. We’re the one year anniversary now, right getting up on when you guys really began getting into the business of this come a long, long way. I saw you sweat a lot last summer and into the fall about mobile. I know there’s gonna be another announcement about mobile as well. But this is when it really ramps up. And we get a couple of games and what sort of the world’s watching one game all the games, there’s a lot a lot of focus on all these games, these next couple of weekends.
John Martin 10:37
Well, just this week, we announced our sports wagering results for the month of December our first full month with both retail brick and mortar locations, which are now celebrating their anniversary into their second year now, and mobile, which started at the end of November with fluids the November 23 launch. So at the end of the month of December, some interesting things and some some facts and numbers because if nothing else, we are numbers, people here in estar, we like numbers. And some things to just look at is that combined both retail and mobile, that for the month of December, we generated over nearly $500 million in handle meaning money wagered. Vast majority of that 96% of that was on the mobile side. So as we saw, predictably, the big swing 96 Mobile. Now what in flights that is the promotional play, because we still have the sportsbooks offering promotions that are still this last month in December right around $70 million in promotional play, which artificially inflates that number. But again, we’ve anticipated based on other jurisdictions about a 9010 percents breakdown between mobile and retail. And I think once the promotions kind of recede and come back to to normal city, you’ll you’ll see something in that 90 to 10 ratio here in Maryland, which, again, is is expected that’s what we see in other jurisdictions, and no one should be surprised on that.
Nestor Aparicio 12:08
I think people that hear that for the first time may be a little shocked by it, you know, it gave me a little sticker shock and then I thought, Oh, well I can bet right here on my phone and we’ll have to move instead of moving like Yeah, I mean we 90% would be DoorDash if we could just order you know like i And again this is probably the point where we say this is all new Be careful be responsible in what you’re doing the league saying that all the agencies are saying that and on behalf of everyone that’s ever listened to me that enjoyed this part of sports just just go slow Know your limits take take take care of yourself you know
John Martin 12:45
you know what go slow play responsibly have a plan stick with it budget both your time and your men your money spent so you can fully enjoy the the the options available to you for your entertainment dollar. But I think it’s also be be smart be educated and and this is probably a whole nother topic that that may be outside of my sweet spot. So I don’t want to overstep my bounds here. But but so many times I think people are caught up in in the in the excitement of it that they don’t fully understand what it is their what is their wagering, you know, the hole, the amount that casinos have left is still pretty healthy. It’s the last month of December here we’re looking at a combined hold rate of 17%, which is just about twice what it used to be back in the day. And the reason it’s inflated are primarily things like parlay bets, things like in game bets,
Nestor Aparicio 13:39
percentage, but over the over the book, it’s a low percentage
John Martin 13:42
win. And it clearly is in the advantage of the sports book and the operator. So just be be smart about what it is you’re you’re wagering, don’t chase losses, sit back and relax a little bit and be better educated on what it is you’re you’re investing in in terms of that of that bet. And you know, not that I would wish, you know, the casinos and sportsbooks not do well. But I think again, an educated consumer is a much better player in the long run.
Nestor Aparicio 14:15
Well, that number goes down from 17 to 15 of house money versus the winners money. And you know, I learned all about that with horse racing 30 years ago on the Preakness days well with how educated people would know more about what they’re gambling on. John Martin is here. He Gamble’s on us each and every week here, we have some fun together, you could find him out in front of Baltimore, a positive as well as MD lottery. I want to give you a minute because my wife was yelling at me right before we came on about second chance. But more than that about the app and the importance of the app, and people using that and we don’t talk about it as much but I do want to give you a little oxygen on that because it is my wife sort of it’s the way she plays the lottery, and it’s the way so Many people I see modern times when I’m at cost is when I’m at places even when I’m, I noticed all of your booths, the kiosks in the front of places. As much as we talk about mobile wagering, mobile playing for the lottery is a sort of standard now for many, many people, it’s the way they do it right?
John Martin 15:20
Well, at least to interact but the actual playing you still cannot make a purchase on your phone. With with traditional lottery products, only the mobile wagering with sports betting is this is a distinct behavior. But but we do have a couple apps actually available in in the marketplace, the the Maryland lottery app, which will give you all things really that are available on our website, a lot of information, a lot of the ability to to see current jackpots.
Nestor Aparicio 15:54
And see if you won, you know, the first thing, what a really That’s my wife is did we win, boom, right? I mean, and then from there, hey, second chance, all that, but getting more people to use it, it’s just smart, right? I mean, literally gonna play, you enhance your chance. I mean, you, you take less away from gyro state and you get you know, you get a you get a better chance to, to win.
John Martin 16:17
And and part of that was the rationale or reason to why we went away from the mechanical machines. And the number of ball drawings on a on a daily basis is that we knew the viewership on television was declining over the last several years, we knew more and more people were comfortable using phones to get things like winning number information. So yeah, it’s just been a logical evolution, we have a number of you know, hundreds of 1000s of, of my lottery rewards participants and members who enjoy things like Second Chance drawings and promotions that are available to them direct to their phones. So they opt in for for all of that information, and allows us a chance to have that touch point with a player, literally 24/7. So they can get information when they need it, how they need it. And eventually, we’ll see where that goes in terms of more more services available in the years ahead. But clearly, downloading the Maryland lottery. And gaming app is a good step in that direction.
Nestor Aparicio 17:17
I always joke with my wife that, you know, May of 1987 I put the wrong lotto numbers in the in the evening sun, and 36 years later, yours is at least reliable. So I’m getting the real numbers. If I’m coming, empty, lottery.com. Done mark is here. We can laugh about it now. But it was not funny at the time, believe me, it was not John, hey, I tell
John Martin 17:39
you the things that we do laugh about overtime. And that’s that’s what we’ve done in 50 years. And I would encourage all of your fans to go to our website and check out our 50 years of a lottery stories that are available there. And not only historically, but in the future, where we’ll tease things that are coming down the line as early as this month with new games, new promotions, new activities, all focused on celebrating this our 50th anniversary year. So look forward to seeing those things. And as we talk through the year, we’ll have a lot of exciting special offers to talk about.
Nestor Aparicio 18:14
So I’m gonna give you a little backroom wn St. Baltimore positive I am. So the backside of the website middle of the week. And you know, traffic gets slower during the holidays kind of normal. And I’m not a guy that’s even married to how my traffic is any given day. But sometimes I see a spike and like a lot of people read that blog. And I looked in this past week, the piece we did last week had more traffic and usually thought was the challenge sweater. Was it my hair? Was it our topicality whatever. And then I remembered the picture that we that I used on it was the old wishbone and the it was the it was the you know, the old lottery classic and I’m like, they all love the wish. That’s exactly what I thought when I saw it because the traffic was up and I’m like, Well, I don’t think we were anything so I mean, you were pretty good last week, but I didn’t think I was anything special. But But I think people do people love nostalgic John, they really do.
John Martin 19:03
Nestor I’ve got broad shoulders off carrier for a while if I need to, don’t worry about it.
Nestor Aparicio 19:07
Well, I you know, what’s old is new again is what I what I called it and it had all three of the old the old exploding red and gold L and the pink and blue. And it has all the old ELLs from the lottery right.
John Martin 19:22
coming up in March. So little T’s coming up in March we will have a scratch off ticket that will feature all of our historical logos so look for that in March.
Nestor Aparicio 19:31
All right now I want to live long enough to get to March so I can make it through some Springsteen concerts in February and the super bowl that you want to kick dirt on the Ravens now we’re gonna wait for the season to end Mr. Brown what why would I kick
John Martin 19:44
dirt I have no glory and kicking dirt I you know they’ve they’ve had that eliminated
Nestor Aparicio 19:48
yet. And we went with one thing calm and neither one of us like Cincinnati. I mean, really right now.
John Martin 19:54
Yeah. I mean, people people talked about you know, you’re from Ohio. So you must take and I said you know what, Cincinnati is Kentucky. As far as far as Clevelanders are concerned, you know it’s once you get past Columbus most of our emails will be in Kentucky at that point see
Nestor Aparicio 20:09
that that is a real northern southern that’s what that sports you know, that’s what sports duty at this point
John Martin 20:16
and I’m sure I’ll hear about that later on through
Nestor Aparicio 20:18
brings us together until such time we play each other in a playoff matchup so as it should be, as it should be. I never had a bone to pick with the Cincinnati people. We took care of business back in 1978 with the Orioles back in the zoo, so I’m good, but this weekend, it Cincinnati and Baltimore and John Martin will be joining us at some point on the Maryland crab cake tour this week the Maryland crab cake tour will be coming to a bit of my old homeland White Marsh Perry Hall we’re going to be Chien a Coney Island hot dog all of it brought to you by friends marijuana house ravens scratch offs, as well as secure holiday cash drops. We’re gonna have some fresh ones and I’m waiting for March to get the cool scratch offs. Did that have the old school thanks I can hold it up the old school John I appreciate you did I miss anything this week? Are we good? We are
8John Martin 21:03
very good a lot going on. I gotta go you know print more money we at 1.3 5 billion I gotta I’m on the on the printer here for the next couple of days. Just cranking that out.
Nestor Aparicio 21:11
Now that I’ve I tried to learn something and every one of these segments a pretty basic premise of Baltimore positive. Talk somebody for 20 minutes, don’t learn something. What am I really done? I have just learned the real importance that this ticket for megamillions gets sold here in the state of Maryland that it has real benefit to Maryland. So I’m gonna be pulling even harder for us than I do for the Terps in basketball. How about that?
John Martin 21:33
There you go. There we go. All right, remember play responsibly. Well, I told
Nestor Aparicio 21:37
my wife that right before the segment began. I am Esther we are WNS TA in 1570, Towson Baltimore, and we never stopped talking megamillions go in, and Baltimore positive.com. Stay with us.
