'Losing' lottery ticket may be keeper

LINCOLN — When packing for vacation this summer, don't forget the sunscreen, insect repellent and lottery tickets.

Lottery tickets?

That's right. Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas are using them as a way to market tourism this summer.

In Iowa, Powerball lottery "non-winners" — they're never called "losers" in the world of lotteries — can qualify the holder for free tickets to minor league baseball games, free admission to tourist attractions or $20 coupons at resorts and lodges.

In Nebraska, winners of the "Nebraska 101" lottery game, as well as one lucky non-winner, get to choose from among 11 vacation packages worth about $2,500 each.

The packages feature kayak trips down the Niobrara River, golfing at four of the state's top courses and a "girl's day away" shopping spree in Omaha.

There's a connection between traveling and buying a lottery ticket, said Sarah Baker of the Nebraska Division of Tourism.

"Escapism is kind of involved in both things," Baker said, and both offer some form of recreation and the opportunity for fun.

Lottery officials in Nebraska and Iowa said the pairing of lottery tickets and tourism promotion offers something for both.

Brian Rockey, a marketing director with the Nebraska Lottery, said lotteries get free prizes to give away — the tourism packages were donated by the attractions — and a different set of prizes to lure ticket buyers.

"The typical prize is cash. People like to win cash," Rockey said. "But merchandise prizes, like our Trucks and Bucks game, offer something different."

For the vacation sites, it's a new platform to market their venues.

The Nebraska 101 tickets, for instance, feature pictures of destinations like Carhenge and Omaha's skyline. About 480,000 tickets will be sold at 1,200 locations across the state.

In Kansas, original paintings of scenic Jayhawk State locales by artist Stan Herd adorn the "Painted Byways" lottery tickets. Non-winners can register to win the nine original paintings.

In Iowa, the lottery is financing a television advertising campaign that is promoting the resorts that are offering discounts.

In a tough economy, when many families are either putting off vacation or choosing less expensive, local "stay-cations," such low-cost marketing is important, said Jessica O'Riley, communications manager for the Iowa Tourism Office.

"Everyone's got budget on their mind," O'Riley said. "So any way an attraction can piggyback on a marketing effort without a lot of hard costs, it's attractive."

It's also attractive to families who might be considering skipping a trip to an Iowa destination, she said.

"People have a hard time giving up their vacation. So if they can find a way to make it work, and save a dollar here or there, they'll still go," O'Riley said.

Officials seem pleased with the lottery-tourism combination.

Baker, the Nebraska tourism official, said a state lottery booth at the Taste of Omaha last weekend did a bumper business in tourism-related lottery tickets. Some visitors learned about destinations they'd never heard of, she said.

In Iowa, the giveaways to non-winners of the Powerball lottery have been extended through the end of August, and more lodges and resorts have decided to offer deals, O'Riley said.

Through June 2, about 23,700 people had downloaded discounts offered through the Iowa Lottery web site, she said.

"That's a good number. People are looking for a value," she said.

• Contact the writer: 402-473-9584, paul.hammel@owh.com