Edmonton Eskimos fans will have 70,000 more reasons to get excited for football on June 22, when the team will start the 50/50 take-home lottery at $70,000.
The pot usually starts at zero, unless the previous draw remains unclaimed. To get the take-home amount to $70,000, the team seeded the pot with $140,000.
A spokeswoman for the Esks said the first 7,000 people through the gates for the June 22 game will be given a free $20 ticket for 50/50, which is good for 10 tickets for the draw.
READ MORE: Meet the couple who won the $435K Edmonton Eskimos’ 50/50 jackpot
The regular season starts for the Eskimos on the road against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on June 14.
The massive 50/50 jackpot coincides with the Eskimos’ home opener on June 22 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Eskimos are also celebrating their 70th season in 2018.
This year, Edmonton will host the 106th Grey Cup.
READ MORE: Global Edmonton named as 2018 Grey Cup Festival’s TV partner
During the fourth quarter of every Edmonton Eskimos home game, a ticket is randomly drawn. A lucky fan takes home half the proceeds while the remaining net proceeds support minor football programs in northern Alberta, including the Edmonton Huskies Junior Football Club, Edmonton Wildcats Junior Football Club, University of Alberta Golden Bears football, Football Alberta and the Eskimo Alumni Association’s amateur football initiatives.
In 2017, the Eskimos donated a record $840,000 to amateur football through 50/50 sales.
READ MORE: Edmonton Eskimos 50/50 jackpot swells to over $435K, breaks CFL record
Last year, the 50/50 draw set a record with a take-home jackpot of $435,000.
The team seeded the 50/50 pot on just one other occasion: its final regular season game in 2016 against Toronto. The Eskimos contributed $100,000 so that the minimum take-home prize would be $50,000. The winner ended up taking home $222,668, with the same amount supporting amateur football in northern Alberta.
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