NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - Lottery donates historic machine

Lottery donates historic machine

Associated Press - November 19, 2009 4:14 AM ET

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The machine used to conduct Kentucky's first legal lottery drawing in the 20th century has been donated to the Kentucky Historical Society.

The Kentucky Lottery Corp. had been displaying the Beitel Criterion machine in its lobby since 1997.

It was used for Lotto Kentucky and Cash 5 drawings from 1989 through 1993. The first Lotto Kentucky ticket was sold Oct. 16, 1989, and the machine was used for the game's first drawing two days later. A Louisville couple won the game's first jackpot of $2 million on Oct. 28.

Lottery spokesman Chip Polston says the society had contacted the lottery to see if it had any significant historical items.

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