Zozobra Scratchers
ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico Lottery Zozobra Scratchers have won the North American State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) prestigious Buddy Roogow Best New Instant Game Award. This is the fourth year in a row that New Mexico has won this award, and the fifth time New Mexico Lottery has won this industry-wide award in the last ten years.
The award recognizes the efforts made to create and communicate the innovative attributes of new games and their increased sales potential. The New Mexico Lottery competes against big lotteries like New York, Texas, British Columbia, Kentucky, and California, among many others.
New Mexico Lottery Board Chair, Reta Jones, said, “As one of the smallest lotteries in North America, the New Mexico Lottery’s success is commendable. Our state is honored to be recognized and considered a big competitor nationwide.”
As a New Mexican icon, Zozobra was a perfect choice for a New Mexico Lottery Scratcher. The Burning of Zozobra takes place annually in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Zozobra is a 50-foot-tall marionette stuffed with written memories and items meant to be forgotten, like obsolete police reports and divorce papers. He waves his arms and roars as his archenemy, the Fire Spirit, dances around him with blazing torches. Thousands cheer as the Fire Spirit sets Zozobra ablaze and flames engulf his paper-filled form.
Staged by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, this annual event takes place on the Friday of Labor Day weekend to say farewell to worries and troubles of the last year and set spirits ablaze with hope and renewal.
Zozobra blanketed the media and news in 2024 with its 100th anniversary. It garnered the attention of Karla Wilkinson, Director of Gaming Products at the New Mexico Lottery, who always looks for exciting products for players. Karla reached out to the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, which operates the Zozobra event, and they embraced a partnership to promote the 101st Burning of Zozobra!
Zozobra Scratchers featured three unique artworks, designed by New Mexico artists Raymond Archuleta, Elizabeth Dominguez, and Rene Leninger. The artworks were selected through a competition from nearly 200 entries. The game featured small flame patterns on the ticket surface using Scientific Games’ Dimension™ transparent holographic overlay. Players can enter their non-winning tickets in a second-chance promotion created by Lottery partner, Alchemy3, for a chance to win prizes from $5,000 up to $100,000.
New Mexico Lottery CEO, David Barden, said, “Thanks to our incredible partnerships with the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, Scientific Games, and Alchemy3, we were able to create a game that fueled sales to help raise money for our beneficiary, the Legislative Lottery Scholarship Fund.”
Ticket sales were a blazing success, and the game sold out in 20 weeks.
New Mexico Lottery’s Five Best New Instant Games:
- 2016 – Dia de Los Muertos Scratchers featured six original paintings by New Mexico artist Sean Wells, celebrating the best of New Mexico’s character
- 2022 – HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home Scratchers featured the popular TV show for the first time on a lottery ticket
- 2023 – ORO Scratchers featured multiple price points, celebrating New Mexico’s rich history with gold
- 2024 – Guy Fieri Flavortown Fortune! Scratchers featured the popular chef and restaurant owner for the first time on a lottery ticket
- 2025 – Zozobra Scratchers featured the Kiwanis Club’s Zozobra character, depicted with three unique artworks by New Mexico artists
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
Since 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised more than $1.09 billion for education, and more than 155,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships.
More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available here.