I was buying a Diet Coke at my favorite Seal Beach carryout when a photo of Robert Downey Jr. caught my eye. Believe it or not, the photo wasn't on a tabloid. It was on a scratch-off lottery ticket. The California Lottery has a new game that promotes “Sherlock Holmes,” which opens on Christmas Day.
While I was in Pennsylvania in October, I saw scratch-off lottery tickets that promote the Pittsburgh Steelers (I wouldn’t buy one of those; the Steelers’ luck seems to have run out.) and the Philadelphia Eagles. My home state of Ohio has scratch-off tickets tied to almost every holiday. But I have never seen a ticket that pitches a movie.
According to calottery.com, this is a new kind of partnership between the California Lottery and Warner Bros. Pictures. “Sherlock Holmes,” directed by Guy Ritchie (the former Mr. Madonna), stars Downey as the detective and Jude Law as Dr. Watson.
“The Lottery is honored to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures on a game that combines the excitement of the Lottery with the glamour and glitz of a Hollywood blockbuster,” Lottery Director Joan Borucki said. “And by visiting our interactive Web site and entering non-winning tickets, players have the chance to win other great prizes.”
Sherlock Holmes Scratchers give players a crack at cash prizes of up to $15,000. Other prizes include tickets to the Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour and all kinds of “Sherlock Holmes” swag, such as autographed movie posters and DVDs. The tickets are $2 each.
What did I win? Nothing.
Caption: Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law grace a new California Lottery scratch-off ticket. Who's next? I vote for George Clooney. Photo: California Lottery
