
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 18, 1992                   TAG: 9203180327
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BEN BEAGLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL LADY LUCK

The state Lottery Department says some players have been shocked when they dialed what they thought was the lottery's 800 number and got a "welcome to the ultimate pleasure line for adults only."

The above is delivered by a woman with a throaty, sexy voice who says "you can get the satisfaction you need right here on the phone."

After this, however, the voice becomes businesslike and you are told to have your Visa or MasterCard handy if you want to continue at $2.95 a minute.

This certainly is not what you expect when you call for Pick-3 or Pick-4 numbers, and lottery spokeswoman Paula Otto said there have been calls "from a few people who have been shocked, until we explained."

It's simple, she said: "There's a porno line that is just one digit off ours."

The lottery 800 information number is 243-LUCK - or 243-5825 for people who don't like to dial letters.

The other 800 number is 234-5825, which makes it easy to misdial the lottery number and end up with the woman with the exotic voice. "It's unfortunate," Otto said, but the department hasn't been overwhelmed by complaints.

The number is "a little too close for comfort," Otto said, but changing it would be too expensive. The lottery number is on all the department brochures and literature.

by CNB