THE LOTTERY’S NEW GAME

The California Lottery has begun selling tickets for its second instant scratch-off game--”Sky’s the Limit.” It offers $10,000 top instant prizes and a $3-million jackpot, as compared with $5,000 and $2 million in game one, ‘California Jackpot.”

Here’s how to play:

Tickets again will cost $1. Players must scratch six hot air balloon symbols and find three matching dollar amounts to win $2, $5, $100, $500, $1,000 or $10,000. $2 and $5 prizes are paid by retailers. Winners of the larger amounts must send a claim to Sacramento.

Odds of winning $2 are 1 in 10; $5, 1 in 83; $100, 1 in 4,000; $500, 1 in 26,667; $1,000, 1 in 40,000; $10,000, 1 in 80,000.

Top jackpot prizes will still be awarded each Monday night with televised spinning of a 100-slot wheel.

A third scratch-off instant ticket game will be introduced in about eight to 10 weeks, officals say.