Factory Worker Dodges Shopping Trip and Nets a Big Scratchcard Win

A factory worker from Smethwick has won £250,000 on the UK National Lottery scratch card he bought instead of accompanying his wife on their weekly grocery shop.

Paul Bagnell's wife Deborah knows her man has an aversion to shopping, and is used to him disappearing and leaving her to push the trolley alone. So when she found herself doing a solo shop on a recent visit to their local Aldi it was nothing new, but she never expected he would return a quarter of a million pounds richer.

When Paul dodged the shop to go and buy a scratch card he was in two minds about the best place to go, but finally settled on the DSM newsagent in Bearwood.

"I thought I'll go in the Co-op and then I thought 'no, I’ll go in DSM'," Paul said, and admits to finally deciding on the newsagents because he had an instinct it was the right thing to do.

When he'd finished scratching the Rainbow Scratchcard the stunned shop dodger was amazed at what he'd uncovered and rushed back to show his wife. 

Pulling her to quiet corner of the store, he held out the card and gradually revealed the amount of they had won.

"I saw a 2," Deborah recalled. "I said '200?' He revealed the lot and I just went into shock."

The couple now plan to holiday in Mauritius, and Paul says he may buy a new car, but he still intends to keep his job at the Haws Elliot watering can factory. "I love the place where I am," said Paul.

Lottery Win is Just What the Doctor Ordered

A woman from Ohio had a life-changing lottery win just hours after she was refused a blood test because she did not have insurance.

Cynthia Radosavljevic matched all five of the numbers drawn, but failed to get the Mega Ball, in the Mega Millions drawing on January 21.

Radosavljevic explained to lottery officials that her day began badly when her lack of medical insurance had meant she failed to get a blood test. Then a few hours later her son rang her up and told her she was the holder of a $1 million lottery ticket.

After taxes Radosavljevic will be left with $710,000. She plans to share her prize with her brother and pay off her debts.

Time Grows Short for Bronx Powerball Winner

The holder of a winning (US) Powerball ticket bought in the Bronx has just days left to claim their $1 million prize.

The ticket was bought last February at the C&C Discount store on 167th St. near the Grand Concourse. The winner has yet to come forward and after Sunday it will be too late.

"If the winner is out there, speak up soon," said Yolanda Vega (New York State Lottery). "Maybe someone forgot they purchased a ticket or they simply discounted it because it wasn't a jackpot winner," Vega continued. "Either way, $1 million dollars is life-changing money and we want to help find the winner before it's too late."

Lottery Winner Murdered

Lottery winner, Ryan McKechnie, 31, has been found stabbed to death.

Neighbors alerted police on Tuesday morning and told them McKechnie had not been seen for several days. When officers arrived at his home in Whins of Milton, Bannockburn, Scotland, they were unable to gain entry; so broke down the door and discovered his body. His death is being treated as murder.

McKechnie had battled drug addiction for many years, but vowed to change his ways when he won £40,000 in the Irish Lottery last year.

McKechnie leaves behind three children: Shannon, 11; Ryan, 8; and Michael, 4. They are now orphans because their mother, Anne Marie Rooney, 44, passed away 8 weeks after Michael was born. Her death was presumed to be drug-related.

McKechnie's friend and neighbor, Kevin McKenna, said Ryan had managed to beat his addiction, but returned to old habits when his mother died. McKenna also stated the deceased was "a great guy", who did not manage to hold onto his lottery winnings for long because, "All his supposed mates started hanging around."

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Cunningham said the initial police assessment suggests Ryan died in the house, but the circumstances surrounding his death are yet to be established.

Police want to hear from anyone who can provide any information about McKechnie's death or who heard or saw anything suspicious around his James Street home.

Anyone who can assist the police with their enquiries should call the police on 101, or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

City of Culture Gets Big Lottery Funding

The UK National Lottery's Big Lottery Fund has awarded a £400,000 grant to the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland’s Acorn Fund.

The money will be used to fund community arts and culture projects and to support projects for young people and marginalized groups, such as the homeless and people with learning disabilities.

"This grant to the Community Foundation will help to support people and communities across County Londonderry to build a legacy to the first UK City of Culture," Frank Hewitt (Big Lottery Fund Northern Ireland) said. "We are looking forward to hearing how this grant will benefit local people to play their part in building the legacy."

Lotto Winner Almost Forgot to Buy her Ticket

A woman from Haileybury who nearly forgot to buy her lottery ticket won a $1 million prize in the January 18, Canada Lotto 6/49 draw.

"Lotto 6/49 is my favorite game," Sandra Hurteau told staff at the OLG prize center after admitting how close she came to not buying her ticket at all.

She went online and checked her numbers the morning after the draw, but found it hard to believe she had won, so she went to her local store and used the self-checker to confirm her good luck.

Hurteau now plans to use some of her winnings to pay off bills. "I won’t have to worry anymore," she said. "The rest of the money  . . . we’ll see!"

Single Mum is an Accidental Lotto Winner

A single mother of four, who accidentally purchased an extra California Lottery ticket from a lottery vending machine, got the surprise of her life when her $1 overspend netted her a $14 million win.

The lucky mum, who has yet to be identified, usually spends $4 on Powerball tickets and one Super Lotto ticket, but accidentally dropped an extra dollar into the machine. When she scanned her extra ticket and realized how profitable her mistake had been she was so excited she ran out of the store in hysterics.

She now plans to buy a new house and spend some of the money on travel.

Canadian Lotto Winner Plans to Buy His Parents a New Home

A Calgary man who won $1 million in the January 17, Lotto Max draw says the first thing he wants to do is help out his parents.

When Dean Banman discovered he'd won, the first thing he did was get on the phone to his father. "I told him to start looking for a house," Banman said. The lucky winner also plans to buy himself a new home and a new vehicle, but Banman admits he was initially skeptical about the win.

"I scanned it once [the ticket], and then a second time to double-check," he said. "I didn't think the machine was reading it right so I stood in line to get the cashier to check it too."

Lottery Winner Moves into Hostel for the Homeless

Twelve years after his £9.7 million win on the UK National Lottery; Michael Carroll is living in a hostel for the homeless.

Carroll, now 30, had his life-changing win in 2002, but his outrageous behavior and over-the-top lifestyle resulted in him being labeled "the lotto lout".

When the former dustman collected his winnings he was wearing an electronic tag the courts had imposed as a punishment for being drunk and disorderly. He stated his initial purchases would be a fishing lake and a Ford Orion car. His modest dreams did not last long. An early spending spree secured him a mansion near Swaffham, and he promptly turned the garden into a race track for bangers.

Carroll wasted much of his wealth on drugs, bling, hookers, and a hard partying lifestyle that resulted in a succession of court appearances. He vowed to change his ways, in 2006, after he was jailed for affray and failing a drug test. By this time he was already rumored to be broke.

By 2010 Carroll applied to get his old job back, and last year he was getting £6 an hour for packing boxes in a Scottish biscuit factory. He has since been dismissed and is now living in a hostel in Inverness. 

"It’s like a horror film—it’s full of junkies," Carroll told a local tabloid.  He is now negotiating with movie producers, who are considering turning his life into a movie, and Carroll is keen to see Danny Dyer cast in the starring role.

German Lotto Winner Gets Flush with her Winnings

A 63-year-old woman has torn up her German Lotto prize money and flushed it down the toilet.

When Angela Maier, from Essen, Germany, won £330,000 ($547,120) on the German Lottery the good news traveled fast, but her silver cloud proved to have a dark lining when an unexpected bill  was pushed through her letter box.

The bill was sent from the care home that looked after her husband prior to his death. The news of Maier's Lotto windfall prompted the management to send her a bill for his care.

Disgusted by the tactless mailing, Maier drowned her sorrows in five bottles of champagne, then tore up the rest of the money and flushed it away rather than have it taken from her.

Virginia Lottery Seeks Missing Mega Millions Winner

Over a month has gone by since a winning Mega Millions ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven in Belle, West Virginia, but nobody has come forward to claim the $1 million prize.

The ticket was a winner in the Mega Millions draw held December 17, and West Virginia Lottery representative, Nikki Orcutt, is mystified as to why the winner has failed to claim their prize.

"We don’t know if someone either has the ticket or has thrown it away on accident or is just simply waiting for the right day to claim the prize. It is still outstanding," Orcutt said, but  she thinks it may be possible they are just biding their time.

"Sometimes you just have people who want to plan and prepare for receiving the amount of money they'll get at one time. Maybe they’re just developing their plan of action," Orcutt explained, stating that its impossible to know until the 180 day deadline has passed.

"Unless we receive a call from a player with the actual serial number on the bottom of the ticket to validate it over the phone." she went on, "we would have no way of knowing who the ticket was sold to."

There is plenty of time before the 180  day deadline is reached, and the lottery still hopes the winner will come forward, but if they don't the money will be placed in the unclaimed prize fund.

The owner of the 7-Eleven store where the ticket was purchased will still receive a bonus for selling a winning ticket, but if the prize isn't claimed they will have to wait until after the 180 day deadline expires.

Canadian Lotto Retailers Suspended

Investigators from The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) have caught several retailers selling lottery tickets to minors.

Officials from the ALC expressed their disappointment when they learned their mystery shopper campaign had successfully exposed 19 retailers. One retailer has already been indefinitely suspended from selling tickets and will have to go through further training before he is reinstated. The other 18 retailers received a warning and a five day suspension.

Persistent failure to comply with lottery regulations can result in retailers being permanently banned from selling tickets.

The ALC operate several lottery games in Canada including the popular Lotto Max, drawn every Friday; and Lotto 6/49, drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Arizona Lottery Report Record Sales

Things are looking good for the Arizona Lottery. Their mid-year results show ticket sales are7.8% higher than fiscal year 2013 and currently total over $349.5 million.

This year's bumper level of sales is largely attributable to a 9.5% increase in scratch card ticket sales and a 4.8% increase in ticket sales for the main draws.

The Arizona Lottery's executive director, Jeff Hatch-Miller, believes he knows the reason behind the extra interest in the main draws. "The nearly record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot run this fiscal year, following the game's redesign, resulted in a huge increase of Mega Millions ticket sales statewide," he stated. “This surge in Mega Millions sales, along with the introduction of new products, heavily contributed to our strong mid-year sales figures."

The Mega Millions game was redesigned last October and the new game provides larger Initial jackpots. The jackpots in the new game also grow a lot faster than those in the previous version and a $1 million Mega Millions second prize, coupled with better odds of winning a prize, has given sales a boost. Mega Millions ticket sales now show a 101.9% increase over the same period last year.

The increased number of lottery ticket sales has provided the state of Arizona with over $776 million this year and the money has been put to good use. Revenue generated by the lottery is used to fund a diverse variety of public projects and programs including, health, education, the environment, and public welfare.

The increased interest in Arizona Lottery products has also benefited ticket-selling retailers, who have already earned over $22.5 million in commissions this year-to-date.

Lottery Revenue Down in Missouri

The State of Missouri is struggling to meet its education budget due to a fall in the amount of revenue received from river boat gaming and the Missouri Lotto.

The state's budget director, Linda Luebbering, thinks there is still chance for things to pick up before the end of the fiscal year, but there is already a deficit of tens of millions of dollars. The shortfall from river boat gaming is $22 million and the shortfall from Lotto is 13 million.

Luebbering says the governor has proposed using general revenue to make up the shortfall, but the move would need to be approved by the legislature.

Norwalk Man Gets Lucky For Life

A Norwalk man who used family birthdays for his lottery numbers had reason to celebrate last Thursday when he had a big win on a Connecticut Lotto Lucky for Life lottery ticket.

On the night of the draw Michael Samlidis was busy getting ready to go and work at his second job so he asked his wife to go online and check his numbers for him.

"When she gave me the piece of paper with the numbers she wrote down, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest!" Samlidis admitted to lottery officials.

He'd missed the Lucky Ball, but matched five of the winning numbers and won the game's second prize of $25,000 a year for life. "This prize will make life a little easier," he said.

Persistence Pays Off For Australian Lotto Player

An Australian man who has been a loyal lotto player for over 30 years discovered persistence can pay off when all those years of faithful playing were rewarded with a big win earlier this month.

The winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, admitted to lottery representatives he was surprised when his numbers finally did him proud in the Saturday night drawing on January, 18, and won him a first division prize of $513,011.97. 

"As soon as I checked the winning Lotto numbers on the internet and knew I'd won I breathed a sigh of relief," he said. "I've been playing for around 30 years but it still came as a shock to have my own numbers come up." He now plans to settle his mortgage and pay off his debts.

The lucky winner purchased his ticket from the Banora Point Newsagency at Banora Point Shopping Village. Store owner, Kirstie Connell, has no idea which one of her customers bought the ticket because they presented it directly to Lotto, but when she heard the ticket was purchased at her store she said she was "thrilled to bits" for the winner and hoped they would make themselves known the next time they visited her store.

"We like to share the excitement because it's such a thrill for us as well to be part of it," she explained, and went on to say that her store must be on a lucky streak because another of her customers won $20,000 on a $1 Scratchie bought over the Christmas period.

Big Lottery Funding for Nottinghamshire's Jobless

Hundreds of job-seekers in Nottinghamshire (UK) will receive pay-outs, to help them find work, thanks to grant from the National Lottery's Big Lottery Fund.

The £6 million project will be coordinated by the Greater Nottingham Groundwork Trust and should last five years.

The scheme will support 300 people each year. Each person will receive an annual budget of £2,000 and the scheme should benefit 1,500 unemployed youngsters over the next five years.

The one-off payment of £2,000 will be allocated to young people in 27 unemployment hot spots throughout Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The money can be used to pay for apprenticeships, vocational training, or to pay for their transport to and from work.

Powerball Millions for Californian Father

The news just keeps getting better this year for one Californian man. Daniel Miguel Galeon, 26, recently discovered he and his wife would soon be hearing the patter of tiny feet, then before he'd even had time to wipe the smile off his face, he won an incredible $3,167,202 (US) Powerball prize.

When he scanned his ticket Galeon was so surprised he had to ask the cashier to check if the machine was broken, but when the news finally sank in he began shouting for joy.

Galeon now plans to pay off some bills, buy a new house, and spoil his growing family. He also intends to make a donation to Shriners Hospital for Children in Los Angeles.

New Lottery Game Will Turn Losers into Winners

The Minnesota and Iowa state lotteries have teamed up to bring lottery-loving punters a new game that can make a winner out of even the most die-hard of lottery losers.

The new "All or Nothing" ticket will make its debut on Tuesday, with a top prize of $100,000, and the biggest winners in the game will be those who successfully match all the winning numbers and those who fail to match any at all.

Tickets will cost $1 and there will be two drawings each day. To win the game players will need to correctly pick all 12 of the numbers, drawn from a pool of 24 numbers, or fail to pick any of them at all.

Despite the name of the game players will not need to get all or nothing to win a prize. Players who match 11 of the 12 number will win $1,000. Players who match just one ball will also receive a $1,000 payout. The prize amount then gradually shrinks with each extra number and the only losers in the game will be those who correctly match five, six, or seven numbers.

"This is a fun concept that definitely tweaks the traditional lottery drawing," stated Ed Van Patten, executive director of the Minnesota State Lottery.

But Terry Rich (Van Patten’s counterpart in Iowa) probably put it best when he said, "If you never match anything in lottery drawings, have we got a game for you."

Daily drawings for the new game will be at 12:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.

Richmond Man Accused of Killing his Mother Prior to Lotto Ticket Robbery

A man from Richmond, Virginia, has been charged with stealing cash, cigarettes, and scratch-off lottery tickets from a JCC 7-Eleven store in Norge.

Police say Ronnie Samuel cook, 44, walked into the store on January 4, and asked to buy a lottery ticket. He then demanded the store clerk give him lottery tickets, the contents of the cash register and several packets of cigarettes. Afterwards he left the store and drove off in his car.

Cook is also suspected of robbing a Shell Station in Henrico County, but theft may be the least of his crimes. He is presently being held in the Richmond City Jail, accused with stabbing his 78-year-old mother to death earlier that same day.

Powerball Winner Seizes the Day

A US Powerball Winner in Nebraska has decided to remain anonymous and is taking their privacy so seriously they have created a legal entity to hide behind.

The mystery winner bought their £$1 million-winning Powerball ticket in Kearney, on December 21, and successfully matched five of the six numbers in the draw held that night, but failed to match the Powerball.

The Kearney Hub says the ticket holder has been working with an attorney and created a legal entity called Carpe Diem LLC. Carpe Diem is a Latin phrase that means "Seize the day".

Nebraska Lottery representative Neil Watson says a $700,000 check will be made payable to Carpe Diem LLC and be sent out in about two weeks.  A further $300,000 will be withheld for state and federal taxes.

The estimated jackpot for tonight's Powerball draw is $152 million.

Big Lottery Funding For Asperger Project

A project in Norwich has received a £299,199 cash boost from the UK National Lottery  Big Lottery Fund's Reaching Communities program.

Project workers at Asperger East Anglia work tirelessly to help people with Asperger syndrome (AS) find work. The lottery funding will be used to run a program designed to assist young people with AS to explore their full potential and develop useful employment skills.

People who suffer from AS find it very difficult to interact socially and have poor non-verbal communication skills that are coupled with restricted, but repetitive, interests and behavior patterns. AS can result in clumsy behavior and strange and disordered usage of language; so the average AS sufferer often finds it difficult to find work and make their mark in the world.

Thecla Fellas, chief executive of Asperger East Anglia, stated: "This is the best start to 2014 we could have hoped for. Our work is multi-dimensional, supporting people with Asperger syndrome and also educating people about the condition. This Big Lottery Fund grant will go a long way to helping us in this."

The project has free sessions that allow those who suffer from AS to develop their skills. External work experience placements provide further opportunities for skills development that also allow AS sufferers to experience everyday social interaction in the workplace.

The charity hopes their taster workshops in carpentry, furniture restoration, fashion design and other skills will result in salable products that will provide a sufficient income to sustain the project when the lottery funding has run out.

Wheelchair-Bound Canadian Man Claims Lottery Jackpot Was Stolen

A former councilor from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, who was confined to a wheelchair after being shot in the head last year, claims he is the rightful owner of a Lotto 649 ticket that won $3.6 million six years ago.

Franz Prokop's lawyer told the court his client bought the ticket while shopping with his former common-law partner, Angelina Dushop, who then claimed the prize with her son nearly a year later.

A manager from the British Columbia Lottery Corporation testified that Peter Dushop seemed unclear about where and when he bought the ticket, so they were initially reluctant to award the prize, but later decided he did buy the ticket and gave him the money.

Prokop has been unable to prove his claim to the court.

EuroMillions Winner in Bolton Misses His Chance to Claim Prize

The National Lottery has been unable to trace the owner of a winning EuroMillions raffle ticket that was bought in Bolton on July 26, last year. 

Lottery officials were so desperate to find the missing winner they enlisted the help of Bolton's existing EuroMillionaire Brian Caswell, who won a £25 million jackpot in 2009.

Speaking to The Bolton News, Casswell made an appeal for Bolton players to check their pockets. "Once it’s gone, it’s gone," he warned. "It will be no good finding it in a month."

The 180 day deadline passed on Wednesday at 11pm and the prize, along with any interest earned, will now go to National Lottery Good Causes.

National Lottery Advert Cleared by the ASA

A television advert that was reported for making misleading claims about a UK National Lottery "£7 million jackpot" has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The complaint was made by a viewer who stated the advertisement, produced by Abbott mead Vickers BBDO, failed to make it clear that the £7 million jackpot amount was an estimated amount.

The ASA responded to the claim by pointing out the average lottery player would probably already know that the Lotto jackpot could vary, depending on ticket sales. They also considered the onscreen text incorporated into the advertisement made it sufficiently clear the jackpot amount was an estimate and concluded that no code had been breached.

GTECH Sign Contract with the Colorado Lottery

GTECH Corporation has signed a lottery gaming and services contract with the Colorado Lottery. The contract will begin on November 2, this year, and run to June 30, 2021.

The agreement will allow GTECH to provide the lottery with data-driven tools and expandable technology designed to increase the state's revenue.

GTECH will also supply EX multimedia digital advertising displays that should encourage brand awareness.

"This contract is important," GTECH America's president and chief executive officer, Jaymin B. Patel, stated. "It allows us to re-establish a relationship with the Colorado Lottery which dates back to 1988 when we first brought the Lottery online."

New Zealand Man Charged with Assaulting Lotto Shop Worker

Former policeman and two-time candidate for the Napier City Council, Stuart McLachlan, 68, stood before a Hasting District Court judge earlier this week. He was charged with assaulting a lotto shop worker who tried to stop him from walking out without paying the $1.30 he owed for his lotto ticket.

A police officer stated McLachlan pushed the shop worker and used abusive behavior when she tried to get the ticket back. The lotto shop employee confirmed this, "He was angry, really, really angry," she told the court. "When he was swearing at me spit was coming out of his mouth, I had to wipe my glasses off afterwards. All I could think about was not falling on the ground because I didn't want him to put the boot in."

A witness to the attack said in her testimony, "He was clearly drunk. Angry. Violent. He was stumbling back and forth." The witness believed McLachlan may have pushed his victim up to 30 times.

McLachlan's lawyer stated his client was only trying to get to the New World supermarket to get the money for the ticket. The shop worker argued this was untrue, testifying that her attacker told her he knew the shop owner and could get credit.

The confrontation came to an end when McLachlan returned the ticket by shoving it into the shop worker's bra.

McLachlan claimed he didn't want to return the ticket before going to the supermarket because he feared the ticket may be cancelled and he could "miss out on millions".

Liquor Store Lotto Ticket Provides a Cause for Celebration

A Waldorf man had reason to celebrate at the weekend after a lottery ticket he bought from his local liquor store won $1 million in the Friday night (US) Mega Millions draw.

Yasmaille Castor purchased the ticket from Westlake Liquors on Smallwood Drive in Waldorf. When he checked the numbers on Saturday he already knew he didn’t have the Mega ball, but was surprised to discover he had correctly matched all five of the other numbers.

Castor had no idea how much he had won. He guessed about $5,000; and whooped "ay-yi-yi!" when he realized the true extent of his win.

Castor now plans to pay off his car loan and set some money aside to put his four children through college.

Warrington Workers are a Winning Combination

A lotto syndicate from Warrington has finally claimed the £1,758,997 UK National Lottery prize they won on a ticket bought on November 30 last year.

The syndicate of six women was formed 20 years ago while the group was working together at Salsteam (now Norbert Dentressangle) on Birchwood Lane.

The ticket was purchased by Julie Philips, who placed it in her purse and forgot all about it until Monday of this week when she fished it out from among all her other tickets and till receipts and finally had it checked.

"It was only because I was in Warrington shopping and I walked past the kiosk where I normally buy our tickets that I decided to check," she admitted.

Powerball Favorite Makes a Return

After an absence of two years, the US Powerball "Power Play" multiplier feature has been reinstated as off today, and with tonight's jackpot estimated at $131 million there has never been a better time for lottery-loving punters to Power Play their tickets for the chance of an increased prize.

By investing a further $1, and adding a Power Play to their ticket, Powerball players have the chance of multiplying their prize—in the event of a win—by 2X, 3X, 4X, or even 5X, depending on which multiplier is drawn.

The Power Play multiplier option makes its return following the second anniversary of the new Powerball game that offered fixed amounts for Power Play prizes. Many Powerball players will see this reversal in policy as a change for the better and will welcome the return of the much-loved feature that can increase a $100 win into a $500 win and a $10,000 prize to a much more respectable $50,000.

Powerball tickets will continue to cost $2. Adding the multiplier option will bring the price up to $3, and no changes will be made to the game's odd or number matrix. Jackpot and "Match 5" prizes are also unaffected.

From tonight's draw onwards, the Power Play multiplier will be randomly selected during each Powerball draw (Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 EST).

Powerball iPads May Arrive at Twin Cities Airport

The Minneapolis-St. Paul airport may soon allow travelers to buy lottery tickets via the 2,500 iPads available in the main terminal.

The airport iPads have already proved very useful to terminal visitors, allowing them to check flight times, browse the internet, and even order food. The Metropolitan Airport Commission is now considering adapting the devices to permit passengers to use them to buy Powerball and Mega Millions lottery tickets as well as electronically simulated scratch-off tickets.

The idea was suggested by the New York-based company, OTG Management. The company operates all the food and beverage concessions at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport and is keen to expand their influence into other areas.

The airports commission were going approve the idea at a recent meeting, but  tabled it when concerns were raised about the possible impact the expansion might have on the airport's existing lottery sales. The non-profit Airport Foundation currently operates a kiosk situated in the airport's main shopping area. It already sells Powerball, Mega Millions and scratch off tickets. Airport vending machines provide a further source of scratch-off tickets.

"We just want to make sure that nothing we do negatively impacts the Foundation, and that we know what we're getting into with this," said airport commission member, Paul Rehkamp.

The proceeds from  iPad lottery sales would be divided in several ways. OTG and the firm involved with the technology would get 5 percent, the airport would receive twice that amount, and the rest would go to the Minnesota Lottery.

Six People Win the Irish Lotto Jackpot

Saturday Night's €3,525,865 Irish Lotto Jackpot will be split between six lucky winners.

The winning tickets were sold in in Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow.

A man from County Meath was the first winner to claim his €588,144 share of prize. When he and his family arrived at the National Lottery offices, on Monday morning, his family said he was an optimist who had always believed he would win the lottery one day.

His lotto dreams were finally realized with a ticket he bought on Saturday morning from the Newgate Stores, Mace, Kells Road, Navan, Co. Meath

Bloomfield Man Replaces his Cigarettes with a Lottery Win

A Bloomfield man who quit smoking, and spent the money on lottery tickets instead, wore a winning smile earlier this month when his new habit rewarded him with a large lottery prize.

Daniel Shelton, 31, began buying tickets so that his hands would have something to do when he finally stopped smoking, and all that scratching has already paid off for him in a big way. Shelton's healthier lifestyle rewarded him with a wealthier lifestyle when he won $500 a week, for life, on a New Jersey Lottery scratch card.

Shelton's ticket was one of 13,320,000 produced by the New Jersey Lottery for a game that started on September 30, 2013.

Lotto Winner's Good Intentions Hijacked by Internet Fraudsters

When Tom Crist won the $40 million (Canada) Lotto Max jackpot last year he decided to donate all his winnings to a charity set up in the name of his late wife. Now merciless internet fraudsters are trying to take advantage of Crist's generosity by using his name in a scam email campaign designed to line their own pockets.

The bogus emails state that the recipient has been chosen to receive a $1.2 million share of Crist's winnings, but before the funds can be released they will be required to part with personal information. Victims are also told that they will need to pay an upfront fee to cover various legal and insurance costs.

Last week the Sun ran a story about a woman who was taken in by the emails and lost $550. She is now unable to afford to buy her son the puppy she had promised him.

Naeemah Mitchell from Massachusetts was convinced she was dealing with the real Tom Crist and told him, via an exchange of emails, that she had lost her parents and her husband, and understood how it felt to lose someone you love.

Crist is aware of the scam emails and feels disappointed that his good intentions are being perverted in this way.

"People are trying to take advantage of a good thing and that's really unfortunate," Crist said. "And I just say stay away from it. I am sending nothing out, whether it's Facebook, email, anything. There's nothing going out from the real Tom Crist right now—Period!"

EuroMillions Winner Becomes a EuroMillions Loser

The holder of winning EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle ticket has failed to come forward before the 180 day deadline.

The ticket was bought in Fife, Scotland, on July 23. The £1 million prize, and all the interest it has earned, has now been passed on to the UK National Lottery Good Causes.

A National Lottery representative said, "We tried very hard to find the ticket-holder and it's a real shame that they have missed out."

Eight raffle winners from the July 26 draw have just two days left lose their to claim their £1 million prizes.

Anyone who thinks they may hold a winning ticket for any of the National Lottery draws should call the National Lottery Line on 0845 910 0000.