Owings Mills, August 9, 2010 -- A returning star to the football roster was revealed today by Ravens President Dick Cass and Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino. The twosome was onsite at Ravens Training Camp at McDaniel College in Westminster to unveil the new Ravens Cash Fantasy scratch-off, which went sale today at Lottery retailers across Maryland. “The original Ravens Cash Fantasy was the best-selling $5 scratch-off in Maryland Lottery history,” said Martino. “We are thrilled to renew our partnership with the Baltimore Ravens.”
The Maryland Lottery was one of the first lotteries in the country to partner with an NFL team, following League approval of such partnerships in 2009. “This is a natural alliance,” said Cass. “These are two iconic Maryland entities coming together to offer great fun and winning experiences.”
This year’s Ravens Cash Fantasy ticket offers more than $11 million in instant prizes – including three $1 million instant top prizes.
The Maryland Lottery was one of the first lotteries in the country to partner with an NFL team, following League approval of such partnerships in 2009. “This is a natural alliance,” said Cass. “These are two iconic Maryland entities coming together to offer great fun and winning experiences.”
This year’s Ravens Cash Fantasy ticket offers more than $11 million in instant prizes – including three $1 million instant top prizes.
- Baltimoreravens.com
More than 116,000 people played the inaugural version of the game last year, making it the best-selling $5 scratch-off in the lottery's history,
Tickets for the game feature a perforated portion called "Extra Yards." That area contains a code. Players who enter the code on the Maryland Lottery's website can win prizes valued at up to $1 million, including season tickets for life, sideline access to games, framed autographed jerseys and away trips with the team.
That's interesting.
Apparently folks were so excited about the chance of winning free football jerseys, free sideline passes and free lifetime season tickets that they willingly wagered enough hard-earned money to make that scratch-off ticket the best-selling game in state history.
Is buying a lottery ticket that offers the chance of winning lifetime football tickets (instead of cash) really the same thing as gambling? Or is risking five bucks in hopes of being rewarded with an authentic pro football jersey or traveling to away games with the home team no more sinful than buying a raffle or drawing ticket? I don't know.
Would you call it gambling? Or does risking a little money each week in hopes of being rewarded with a big prize sound a little bit like the way some folks treat tithing?
You know, the sometimes-habit of dropping a few bucks in the offering plate (or bucket) and hoping (praying) your numbers show up big in God's Mega Millions drawing?
This next sentence may sound like swearing or profanity or even seem to some people with pew-thumping knee-jerk reactions that I'm taking the Lord's name in vain. But I'm not, so turn off your ears and see:
For Christ's sake, as believers shouldn't we celebrate His resurrection and give thanks for God's gift of eternal life every single minute of our lives, without for one second ever begrudging the joy of giving back to God the 10% that's already His?
Tithing isn't a tax or an installment on Heaven's membership dues. Neither is tithing a punishment nor a weekly assessment on the cost of salvation, because Jesus already paid the price in full. And tithing is definitely not a lottery ticket to be purchased in hopes of winning even bigger rewards from our Father.
Putting things another way, so you want free lifetimes football tickets and eternal life, too?
Wasn't Christ's sacrifice for our sins and God's promise of eternal life better than sitting on the sidelines?
