Players of North Dakota's Hot Lotto and 2 by 2 lottery games will be eligible to win larger prizes next year, lottery director Chuck Keller says.

Beginning Jan. 3, Hot Lotto players will be eligible to triple their winnings on prizes other than the jackpot by choosing the "Triple Sizzler" option when buying a ticket, Keller said.

The option adds another $1 to the cost of a $1 ticket. It is similar to the "Power Play" option already offered on the Powerball game, he said.

Hot Lotto players pick five numbers, 1 through 39, and a sixth number, 1 through 19, which is called the "hot ball." Drawings are Wednesday and Saturday.

A gambler who matches all six numbers in a drawing wins a minimum of $1 million. The odds of winning a Hot Lotto jackpot are one in 10.9 million.

Matching the first five Hot Lotto numbers means a $10,000 prize, with other combinations carrying lesser prizes. A person who buys the Triple Sizzler ticket option will have his or her non-jackpot prizes tripled, Keller said.

On Feb. 22, the 2 by 2 game will begin having drawings seven days a week, and its top prize will increase from $20,000 to $22,000, Keller said. Drawings now occur Monday through Saturday.

The game also will have "Double Prize Feature" drawings on Tuesdays. Gamblers who previously bought chances to play the 2 by 2 game for at least seven straight days will be eligible to have any prizes they win on Tuesday doubled, including the jackpot.

In 2 by 2, players choose two red numbers between 1 and 26 and two white numbers between 1 and 26. The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 105,625.

Associated Press