NEW CASTLE WOMAN WINS DE LOTTERY'S SPEED COMPETITION

DOVER, DE -- Amy Pham, 26, of New Castle, walked away with $1,000 after winning the Delaware Lottery's 11th annual Fastest Fingers championship on Monday, May 19 in Dover.

Pham, a clerk at the Penn Mart Thriftway store in New Castle, was one of 15 eligible terminal-operators from Delaware Lottery Retail stores to compete in the finals. Competitors raced through a test that determined which operator could produce a set number of lottery tickets in the shortest time. Pham's winning time was 1:36.63 seconds.

"I was excited to win the Fastest Fingers competition-it was fun but nerve-racking," Pham said. "This is my second year playing and I've enjoyed it each time. It's great that the Delaware Lottery has this event so that Retailers have the chance to win cash and prizes."

According to Brian Peters, Deputy Director of Sales and Marketing, Delaware Lottery, "Fastest Fingers is our way to recognize retail employees whose hard work helps us to generate revenue for the State's General Fund while raising awareness of the Lottery and its products among players."

The top five championship winners received cash prizes. Ranked in order from second to fifth places (winnings include prize money from the preliminary round): Larry Newsome of Larry's Liquors in Dover, $475; Marneshia Whaley of Milford Mobil in Milford, $200; Aimee Truitt of Bodies Market in Georgetown, $275; and Cathy Walls of Books & Tobacco in Hockessin, $225.

From May 13 through 15, more than 100 clerks from Delaware Lottery Retailers competed to be one of the five finalists from each county invited to compete in the championship round held at the Rollins Center of Dover Downs Hotel in Dover. This was the first Fastest Fingers competition to take place using the new XION terminals installed at all Lottery Retailer locations this past February. There are more than 450 Lottery Retailers in Delaware.

Since the start of operations in 1975, the Delaware Lottery has contributed more than $1.4 billion to the state's General Fund to help finance needed state services that benefit everyone in Delaware. The Lottery offers a variety of games: POWERBALL®, LOTTO, PLAY 3, PLAY 4, and assorted Instant Games. More information is available at delottery.com.