A jackalope is mythical creature from Wyoming folklore. It's part jackrabbit and part antelope and Clontz feels the strange hybrid is a perfect choice for the new lottery.
"It is a very popular figure, it's a lot of fun, and we wanted something that we could use that had character, as opposed to a mountain or a tree or something like that," Clontz stated. "So I think this is something that will be easily recognizable and easily identifiable and fits the culture of Wyoming."
Yolo's name is a clever play on some of the letters in the new Wyoming Lottery brand name "WyoLotto", but the word is also very popular in social networking, where it is used as an abbreviation for "you only live once"; so it's a good choice for a mythical being that hopes to encourage people to take a chance in the hopes of a big win.
"So just maybe you'll see a jackalope when you are out there running around the terrain of Wyoming," joked Clontz. "And just maybe you'll have that winning Mega Millions or Powerball ticket and have that life-changing sort of experience."
Yolo made his first public appearance last Thursday at an open house event at the Wyoming Lottery's new headquarters at the corner of Central Avenue and East 17th Street in downtown Cheyenne.
