LOTTO PROMO : California Bets on Film About N.Y. Winner

“It Could Happen to You,” which opened nationwide Friday, tells the story of a New York cop whose $4-million win at the New York state lottery changes his fortune in more ways than one.

Officials of the California Lottery, knowing a golden opportunity when they saw one, agreed to help TriStar Pictures promote the film in California, despite the fact that Cage’s character wins big in New York.

“How often do you have a wholesome movie with a good theme that involves a lottery ticket?” said Linda Barton Macdonald, the lottery’s product publicity manager, on why it agreed to the joint promotion. “We thought it would be really fun.”

Although the California Lottery has previously participated in corporate tie-ins, it had never promoted a movie before.

“This is such a good lottery story,” Macdonald said, “we were really excited to take advantage of it.”

California Lottery tickets purchased last Monday, Tuesday and Friday, the day the film opened, read: “Who’s Next? It Could Happen To You!,” and preview audiences in Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles received free “Scratcher” tickets and a chance to meet local lottery winners. The California Lottery also printed up promotional notepads with its logo for TriStar.

In keeping with the theme that winning the lottery could happen to anybody, Macdonald said, “we compiled a collection of everyday folks who struck it rich. We want to be able to say to an audience, ‘Here’s a millionaire!’ ”

Fifteen other state lotteries, including New York, have agreed to promote “It Could Happen to You,” which was inspired by a true story.

“We’re in the business of producing big winners,” Macdonald said, “and this film gives an audience a chance to see what life’s like for a winner.”