Are you ready for an outdoor adventure that could net you some serious dough? Grab Outdoor Cash at your favorite lottery retailer to win up to $100,000! If your ticket isn’t a winner, don’t pack it in just yet—enter it for a 2nd Chance to keep the thrill alive!
But here’s the real win: Every time you play, a portion of every dollar goes to protecting Minnesota’s great outdoors, including one of our most iconic residents—the common loon!
Meet Minnesota’s Ultimate Water Explorer
Minnesota’s state bird, the common loon, is built for the water. Unlike most birds, loons have solid bones instead of hollow ones, making them excellent divers. With torpedo-shaped bodies and powerful webbed feet, they can shoot 250 feet deep and stay underwater for up to five minutes while hunting for fish. That’s some serious aquatic agility!
Like many Minnesotans, loons are seasonal travelers. When winter hits, they trade our icy lakes for the warmer coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, from Florida to North Carolina. But getting there isn’t a simple hop and flap. Because of their modest wingspans and solid bones, loons need 100 to 600 feet of open water to take off—basically their own personal airport runway! Once airborne, though, they soar at speeds of up to 75 mph. Talk about a high-flying adventure!
How the Lottery Helps Keep Loons Calling Minnesota Home
Have you noticed the loon in the Minnesota Lottery’s logo? That’s no coincidence! The lottery has long been committed to protecting our natural resources through the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). And loons have been some of the biggest beneficiaries!
One major project funded by the lottery helped assess the impact of the 2010 BP Oil Spill on Minnesota’s loons and pelicans. From 2011 to 2017, the Minnesota DNR used ENRTF funds to collect crucial data, which helped win a multi-million-dollar settlement against BP. That money has gone directly into loon conservation efforts right here in Minnesota.
Another exciting initiative? The National Loon Center in Cross Lake! This upcoming 15,000-square-foot facility, backed by a $4 million ENRTF grant, will be a hub for loon research, habitat protection, and public education. Slated to open in 2025, it’ll give visitors a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn about these incredible birds and their freshwater homes.
Your Ticket to Winning and Giving Back
Since 1990, Minnesota Lottery players have helped fund over $1.15 billion in environmental projects—many of which support the loons we love. So, every time you play, you’re not just taking a shot at a cash prize—you’re helping ensure that the haunting, beautiful call of the loon echoes across Minnesota’s lakes for generations to come.
Get in the game! Pick up Outdoor Cash today and go for that $100,000 jackpot—while giving back to the great outdoors!
