Connecticut Lottery sells tickets honoring UConn basketball win

Posted: 7 January 2025, 03:51 pm.

Last updated: 7 January 2025, 03:51 pm.

The Connecticut Lottery has begun selling scratch-off tickets that promote multiple national championships won by UConn basketball teams.

Limited-edition championship scratch-off tickets go on sale Monday for $5 each at more than 2,800 retail locations across the state.

Lottery players can win up to $3.5 million. The three top prizes in the game are $50K each.

I think this is a great development for us – working with UConn. And we're also leaning toward the 'Basketball Capital of the World' designation that UConn and the governor's office worked on, Brett Stein, senior director of marketing at the Connecticut Lottery, recently told New Haven TV station WTNH.

According to the Connecticut Lottery, the total number of tickets available in the game is 1,026,500. The overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.54.

Winners must match their numbers with any winning numbers. By scratching “2X”, players will win twice the prize shown. With “3X”, players will win three times the prize shown. This also applies to “5X” resulting in five times the prize won, as well as “10X” resulting in 10x the prize won.

controversy arose

Last year, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, D, approved placing signs on some of the state's highways that read, “Welcome to Connecticut, home of the basketball capital of the world.” They are on Interstate highways such as I-91, I-84, and I-395, close to the Massachusetts border.

The signals were not well received by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, D.

This is because even though UConn's men's and women's teams have won multiple college basketball national championships, neighboring Massachusetts is also known for the sport.

Springfield, Mass. is where basketball was invented. The game was created in 1891 by James Naismith, an instructor and graduate student at Springfield College. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is also located in Springfield. Additionally, the Boston Celtics have won 18 NBA championships. The pro team plays home games at TD Garden.

UConn is known for winning

UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley called the location of UConn's main campus in Storrs the “basketball capital of the world.”

As of last year, UConn had won 17 NCAA basketball national championships between the men's and women's teams.

This 2024–25 season, the UConn men's basketball team is currently ranked ninth among college teams. The current record of the team is 12 and 3.

The UConn women's basketball team is currently ranked seventh among college teams in the 2024–25 season. The current record of the team is 13 and 2.

UConn teams frequently play in Hartford, as well as occasionally in New York City. Now playing in the Big East, there has been speculation whether UConn would be offered membership in the Big 12 or the ACC in a future conference realignment.