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The Louisiana Lottery Corporation plans to Add a Little Flavor to its scratch-off game portfolio this spring after entering into a strategic branding alliance with Baumer Foods, the makers of Louisiana's iconic Crystal Hot Sauce.  Featuring a top prize of $12,000, the new $2 game Crystal Hot Cash will launch April 9 at more than 2,800 retailers statewide.

"Just as Lottery tickets give Louisiana a reason to smile, so does Crystal Hot Sauce when it shows up on our dinner tables," said Lottery President Rose Hudson. "We're proud to co-brand with Crystal, a prime example of Louisiana business ingenuity, in jointly promoting our products."

Born in New Orleans nearly 90 years ago, Baumer Foods is a Louisiana business success story. The company ships more than 3 million gallons of Crystal Hot Sauce-as well as steak, soy, Worcestershire, barbeque and wing sauces-to more than 20 countries from its plant in Reserve, where it moved after Hurricane Katrina.

Baumer Foods CEO Al Baumer carries on the tradition started by his parents in 1923 and is active in the family business. "Partnering with the Lottery is a great fit for Crystal," he shared. "Our products are sold in similar locations and our brands are a Louisiana staple and way of life. We were quite honored when they approached us about featuring our logo on a game that will end up in the hands of more than a million current and potential customers."

Crystal Hot Cash features six top prizes of $12,000 and over $1.2 million in total cash prizes with overall odds of winning of 1 in 4.36. The Lottery expects the game's 1.2 million tickets to sell out in about six months.

With 2011 fiscal year's sales reaching its second most successful ever, the Lottery hopes to extend the trend by continuing to team up with prominent, beloved Louisiana brands. Recently, the Lottery launched games featuring home-state themes such as Swamp People's Troy and Jacob Landry, the New Orleans Saints and Louisiana's Bicentennial. The strategy is working, as scratch-off sales are up nearly 5 percent already this fiscal year.

"There's no question that Louisiana-themed games are player favorites," explained Hudson. "With celebrations and seasons such as Mardi Gras and crawfish, we never lack for great content! By promoting Louisiana brands in what we do, we're supporting our state's unique cultural economy, while simultaneously fulfilling our mission to maximize revenue for K-12 public education."

Central to promoting Crystal Hot Cash will be a Lottery-produced web video that showcases side-by-side how Lottery scratch-offs and Crystal Hot Sauce are created.

"Players frequently ask us about the concepts behind our scratch-off games," shared Hudson. "The video will show the fun part of developing game themes, while also demonstrating the amount of security and integrity that goes into game production."

To encourage viewership, the Lottery will conduct promotions on Facebook and its online players club, Club Lotteaux. The promotions will require fans and members to watch the video and correctly answer trivia questions for a chance to win prize packs featuring Lottery tickets and Crystal Hot Sauce products.  On Twitter, followers will be encouraged to tweet what unique delicacies they like to use Crystal Hot Sauce on, while including the hashtag #CrystalHotCash for a chance to win a prize pack.

The Louisiana Lottery reminds players to play responsibility and that you must be at least 21 to purchase. Those with gambling problems are encouraged to call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 877-760-7867 for assistance. More information on the Lottery and Crystal Hot Cash can be found on its website.

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