Local publishing company inks deal with Louisiana Lottery

Jonathan Menard

Louisiana Publishing CEO Tony Taylor and his wife, Louisiana Publishing Vice President Ann Taylor, show off the new Louisiana Sportsman scratch-off tickets. The Louisiana Sportsman game launched on July 30 with more than 1.2 million tickets for sale with

In 2004, Louisiana Publishing in Boutte launched a unique fleur de lis logo that rocketed in popularity, with the decal covering the back windshields of thousands of vehicles and even the proud skin of outdoorsmen across the south. Now, that logo can be found on scratch-off lottery tickets.

Louisiana Lottery Corporation has created a co-branded scratch-off game with Louisiana Sportsman, a magazine founded 29 years ago by Louisiana Publishing. Since its launch, the Sportsman lottery ticket has become one of the fastest-selling games of the year. The lottery has also put together a Louisiana Sportsman scavenger hunt on its website and Facebook page, giving members of the lotto club the opportunity to win a Louisiana Sportsman gift bag.

"We realize that many people would recognize the Sportsman logo and affiliate themselves with it and the magazine," Kimberly Chopin, communications manager with Louisiana Lottery, said. "We’ve been putting a lot of marketing support behind the game with TV and radio commercials."

The scratch-off tickets are designed to catch the eye of sportsmen across the state. Scenes include swamp and forest backdrops as well as the Louisiana wildlife photography of John Ford. The Louisiana Sportsman logo is prominently situated on each ticket in green, hunter orange and pink.

Tony Taylor, the CEO of Louisiana Publishing, said that the now-famous logo was originally developed to brand the corporation. But its popularity took off after the logo was placed on T-shirts.

"It struck a chord with outdoorsmen and they immediately identified themselves with it," Taylor said. "I never thought about how big it was going to be, we just thought that it would be cool. But, I was watching the Olympics with my family the other night and a commercial for a Louisiana Sportsman lottery game came on and I realized how phenomenally blessed we are."

As for the Louisiana Lottery, Chopin said that their main objective has always been to give back to local businesses and the people of Louisiana.

"To date, we have pushed $2.5 billion dollars to the state treasury. Thirty-five percent of every sale is given to the treasury to fund public education," Chopin said. "Five percent of every sale goes to local businesses that sell our games (convenience stores and grocery stores).

"We only retain 10 percent of our revenues for operating costs and we are completely self-funded."

According to Mark Hilzim, executive vice president of Louisiana Sportsman, a business relationship between Louisiana Sportsman and Louisiana Lottery has existed for almost a decade. The Sportsman scratch-off game has been recognized as extremely advantageous for both companies.

"Louisiana Lottery, very astutely, recognized that their marketplace and our marketplace and audience are generally the same." Hilzim said. "This is a great chance for us to expand our brand. Louisiana Sportsman magazine and our logo are both state icons and this partnership is recognition of that.

"The lottery has always been a great client and we look forward to working with them in every aspect of our business."

The Louisiana Sportsman game launched on July 30 with more than 1.2 million tickets for sale with six top prizes of $12,000.