Due to the misleading opening, they accidentally changed the win criteria for Pass The Buck today. It was the equivalent to saying at the start of a regular playing that you could win "a car and $8,000 in cash".
It's fine to open Gas Money that way because you fall into the money as you win the car. It actually reminded me of The Phone Home Game, which was also very difficult to win due to $15,000 being touted as the top prize.
If they left the distribution alone, I would have been fine with them announcing $25,000 during the opening.
If I remember correctly, all George says is that you have a chance to win such-and-such amount of money. And that is true.
It is, but there's a reason they didn't open Punch-A-Bunch before they got rid of the Second Chance slips with an announcement for $25,900 as the max prize.