LANSING, April 25, 2008 - Lucky Dog is back!

The Michigan Lottery's wildly successful instant game, Lucky Dog, is back for a second round of play. The $1 game, which goes on sale Monday, April 28, will feature an entire new pack of dogs that were selected from photographs submitted by Michigan Lottery players.

The Lucky Dog game is sure to prove lucky for Lottery players. In the spring of 2006 when the Lottery issued the first Lucky Dog ticket, players won over $5.2 million in total prize money. The new Lucky Dog game has prizes ranging from $1 to $5,000 and over $6 million in total cash prizes.

Given the popularity of Lucky Dog I, which sold out in just seven weeks, Lucky Dog II tickets are expected to be hot items.

"Lucky Dog is a game that many players can personally relate to. Part of the appeal is that players actually contributed to the ticket design. The fact that the dogs pictured are actually owned by Lottery players makes this game unique and interesting," said Lottery Commissioner M. Scott Bowen.

In addition to being popular with Lottery players, the Lucky Dog concept was a hit with other lotteries too. The Michigan game was selected Best Instant Game of the Year in 2006 by the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL), a non-profit professional association representing 51 lottery organizations. Since that time, several lotteries have launched their own versions of the game.

Over the course of the six-week entry period, Michigan lottery players submitted over 2,000 photos of their lucky dogs for consideration on the ticket. Entries were received through the Lottery's Internet-based VIP Club, Player City (www.playercity.net).

Lucky Dog contest winners, whose owners were notified earlier in the year of their selection, include the following:

Mollie-Miniature Dachshund, owned by Jennifer Carlson of Negaunee

Shiloh-Siberian Husky, owned by Jessica Hatch of Alpena

Princess Snicker Doodle-English Bull dog, owned by Lynda Broughman of Jackson

Marty-Rottweiler Terrier Mix, owned by Gene Buber of Dearborn Heights

Boomer-Australian Shepherd, owned by Scott Curtis of White Lake

Dugan-Pit Bull, owned by Linda O'Brien of Ludington

Squeak-Chow, owned by Benita Collins of Croswell

Ruffles-Bichon Frise, owned by Mike Empie of Mt. Clemens

Sophie-Boston Terrier, owned by Sandie Bonczyk of Lapeer

Lilly-Silky Terrier, owned by Karen Perry of Linden

Over 95 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned to the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players and commissions to retailers. In fiscal year 2007, the contribution to schools was $748.9 million. Since its inception in 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $14.3 billion to education in Michigan.

For additional information, please visit the Lottery's Web site at www.michigan.gov/lottery.