If Queen of Hearts Isn’t Found, Park Lawn Will Cap Jackpot At $2M
CRESTWOOD, IL — Unless someone finds the Queen of Hearts in the next few weeks, Park Lawn plans to sunset its record-busting raffle with a drawdown when the jackpot reaches $2 million. The pot going into Wednesday’s drawing is $1,652,550 and is expected to exceed $1.7 million.
Park Lawn’s progressive raffle has been rolling over since October 2022 which was the last time someone won. Five jokers, including one pulled last week, wiped out the board and a new game was started. Last week, a joker was drawn killing the board.
The Park Lawn Queen of Hearts raffle has attracted thousands of players across the Chicago region, including a dedicated cadre of regulars who reserve half the bar at At the Office Sports Bar & Grill in for a chance to win the life changing, take-this-job-and-shove-it jackpot that has soared in recent weeks.
Find out what's happening in Alsip-Crestwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
If the winner picks the queen and is present, he or she splits the jackpot 60-40; if not present, the winner splits the jackpot 50-50 with Park Lawn.
The game fell under the scrutiny of Village of Crestwood leadership when the jackpot reached $1 million in July after a joker was pulled, starting a new game with a clean board based on a deck of playing cards.
Find out what's happening in Alsip-Crestwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
>>> Joker Slays The Board, Park Lawn Queen of Hearts Rolls Over To $1.7M
“It’s for Park Lawn’s protection,” Mayor Ken Klein told Patch. “These guys sell tickets at several different outlets. What happens if someone takes some from where it’s sold?”
Per the license issued to Park Lawn from the Village of Crestwood, the jackpot is capped at $2 million.
Klein said there isn’t a cap and the village would have considered allowing Park Lawn to increase the jackpot of the current game to $4 million provided the charity takes out a bond. According to the village ordinance, a fidelity bond for any raffle or game of chance in the sum of $2 million or two times the aggregate value of prizes, whichever is less, “in favor of the license conditioned upon his or her honesty in the performance of his or her duties.”
Park Lawn officials were hoping to continue the marathon Queen of Hearts Raffle up to $4 million. Klein said the bond was for Park Lawn’s own protection in case the money coming in from ticket sales, or a portion of it, was stolen.
“We were okay, it’s a charity, but once above $2 million they need to protect themselves,” Klein told Patch. “The village doesn’t want to be responsible because we could be liable.”
The Crestwood mayor said he didn’t understand why the charity “didn’t go with a $20,000 bond.”
In order for Park Lawn to take out a bond, an individual associated with the charity must be personally responsible for it, such as a staff person or board member. Sources tell Patch that the Park Lawn board did not want to go with that option and decided instead to cap the jackpot at $2 million and have a drawdown until the queen is found.
The current progressive raffle, identified as version 7.0, will continue under the current rules, but should the queen be drawn before the jackpot reaches $2 million, the game will end immediately.
If the queen isn’t found and the jackpot hits $2 million, a “drawdown” will occur. Here’s how it works:
It could be a lengthy process that could take up to an hour-and-a-half. Each ticket pulled will win 24 free tickets for the new 8.0 version of the Park Lawn Queen of Hearts raffle.
After the completion of the current 7.0 version of the game, tickets will go on sale immediately. The next version of the game will start at a date to be determined.
Ticket prices will remain the same if there is a drawdown: $5 for 6; $10 for 12; and $20 for 24. Online sales close at noon Monday, but ticket sales will continue at Park Lawn’s Oak Lawn office at 10833 S. LaPorte Ave., or at the always fun At the Office Sports Bar & Grill, 4901 Cal-Sag Road, Crestwood, where the drawing is held at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Players must be 18 and older. When submitting tickets, print (legibly) your full name or initials, phone number and card position (e.g. #14). More information, including purchasing tickets online, can be found at Park Lawn Queen of Hearts Raffle.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Click Here: Alisson Becker jersey sale
