Saturday, May 31, 2014

Share and Share Alike for Factory Syndicate

A worker from the Toyota car plant in Melbourne, Australia, opted out his work's lottery syndicate just before it picked up a big win, but he won't be a lottery loser because his work buddies have decided to give him a cut of the prize anyway.

The syndicate scooped half of the AUD$ 30 million Oz Lotto jackpot on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, splitting the prize with a couple from the Gold Coast.

The syndicate presently consists of 16 members, but the dropped-out worker brings their number up to 17, so their AUD$ 15 million prize should provide each man with AUD$ 882,352.

Workers at the car plant have confirmed the rumor that the winnings will be split 17 ways.

"The group has come to an agreement to share the money with the worker who missed out—that’s what’s being said anyway," a worker said.

The win is doubly lucky for the syndicate because the Toyota plant is scheduled for closure in 2017 and redundancy was looming on the horizon.

"We always play the big Oz Lotto jackpot draws together," a syndicate member said. "We’re all planning to do things like pay off the mortgage and take a holiday," he added.

Oz Lotto drawings are held in Queensland Australia on Tuesday's at 10:40 GMT. To win the Division one (jackpot) prize players need to match all seven main numbers and prizes are awarded as a one-off, tax-free payment.

Oklahoma Lottery Warns of New Mega Millions Scam

The Oklahoma Lottery has issued a warning to Oklahoma residents alerting them to a new lottery scam.

In an announcement made on Friday, May 30, 2014, lottery officials stated the scammers contact potential victims by phone and try to deceive them into believing they have won a large prize in a Mega Millions Sweepstakes game.

After they have built up the hopes of their intended victim the scammers then try to coerce them into wiring money to cover taxes and other up-front charges.

Rollo Redburn, executive director for the Oklahoma Lottery Commission, said: "The lottery will never ask you to send an up-front payment in order to claim a prize. In addition, we don’t know the identity of Mega Millions jackpot winners until they show up in our office."

Any Oklahoma resident who believes they have been contacted by a lottery scammer is advised to contact the state Attorney General’s Office at 405-521-3921 or the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357.

Massive US Powerball Jackpot up for Grabs Tonight

The clock is ticking. The countdown has commenced. The Saturday night US Powerball drawing is just hours away and Saturday, May 31, 2014, is a big night for Powerball players because, with an estimated $173 million jackpot up for grabs, the drawing boasts the second largest Powerball prize of the year.

The largest Powerball prize this year—so far—was won on Wednesday, February 19, when a player from California matched all five numbers and the Powerball and claimed the entire $425 million jackpot.

Tonight's jackpot is considerably smaller, but $173 million is still a massive prize and if the present string or rollovers does end tonight someone somewhere will be start the month of June with a very big smile on their face.

The US Powerball is a multi-state draw that offers a minimum jackpot of $40 million. Numbers are drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 (EST).

Friday, May 30, 2014

Lotto Deposit Sets the Alarm Bells Ringing

A man from Wellington, New Zealand, received a call from his bank earlier this week. The manager was concerned about a large transaction that had been applied to the man's account overnight and wanted to check if the man knew anything about it.  "Yes," he said. "I've just won the Lotto."

The lucky winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, won a second tier prize of NZD$ 1 million in the Saturday, April 5, 2014, New Zealand Powerball drawing, but never checked his ticket until last week.

"I went to buy a ticket for the big Powerball jackpot on this weekend and saw some old tickets at the back of my wallet," the man explained. "As I checked them one flashed up major prize and I thought 'this is good'. Then I gave it to the Lotto lady and she told me I'd won a million dollars—it was even better than good!"

The winner admits his bank account is usually overdrawn so there is little wonder such a big swing in the opposite direction came as a surprise to staff at the bank.

Kiwibank representative Bruce Thompson calculated the figures and said the winner has missed out on over NZD$ 5,000 in interest by not checking his ticket and claiming his prize earlier. Thompson also suggested the winner should take his time and consider the best use for his prize.

"The worst thing you can do is go on a spending spree right after you get the money," Thompson said, but the winner's daughter may have other ideas. He shared the good news with her on Thursday morning via a text message and she texted back: "Dad, take the day off—let’s go shopping."

Pizza Shop Scratcher Delivers a Sizable Win

A security guard who works at the Rockefeller Center in New York is now financially secure thanks to $3 million lottery win.

Rafik Sulaiman, 58, can probably attribute the win to his love of pizza because he purchased his winning New York Lottery scratch-off ticket at the Pronto Pizza, on 48th Street, during his lunch break.

Sulaiman purchased the $10 ticket from their vending machine, but didn't scratch it off until he returned to work so he was forced to make an impromptu return to the store.

"I went back to the guy to verify," Sulaiman said.

Sulaiman was presented with his prize on Thursday, May 29, 2014, and opted to take his winnings in a one-off, lump-sum payment of $1.5 million, but he has no intention of quitting his job and told lottery officials: "I'm just going to hang low."

Euromillions Winner Wants to Give it Away

On Friday, January 31, 2014, an anonymous Euromillions winner from Haute-Garonne in south-west France scooped the entire € 72,149,579 jackpot. It was the seventh largest Euromillions prize ever to be claimed by a French player and the winner has just decided they want to give most of it away.

The French Radio station RTL reported the news on Thursday, May 29, 2014, stating the winner intended to donate around € 50 million to charity. This is believed to be one of the biggest charitable donations ever to be made by a French lottery winner.

The generous gesture has only one string attached. The winner wishes to be informed how the money is put to use.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Chicken Farmer's $3.3 Million Nest Egg

After many years of playing the Michigan Lottery's Lotto 47 game a struggling Schoolcraft County chicken farmer finally had his prayers answered last week when he scooped the $3.3 million jackpot.

Manistique resident Jeff LaBar successfully matched all six winning numbers drawn on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, and his $3,350,000 reward couldn't have come at a better time because most of LaBar's luck has been bad of late and he and his wife, Heidi, have been struggling to get back on their feet after the bank foreclosed on their home.

"I've played Lotto 47 for a long time and have prayed about hitting the jackpot," LaBar said. "God has truly answered my prayers and I am so thankful for his blessings."

LaBar had no idea a winning ticket had been sold in the area until his brother told him and although LaBar felt pleased for the winner it never crossed his mind that he may have purchased the winning ticket.

"I didn't even think to check my ticket until he asked if I was the winner," LaBar admitted.

But when he did check his ticket he had no doubts that his luck had turned.  "I only checked my ticket once and I didn't have to look again," he said. "It was a total rush, there were a lot of emotions and a lot of tears when I found out I had won."

LaBar opted to take his winnings in a one-off, lump-sum payment of $2.1 million and although he has no plan to desert his chickens anytime soon, he feels a short vacation is in order and plans to take his wife to Hawaii.

One Ticket Scoops Wednesday's UK Lotto Jackpot

Only one ticket matched the six winning numbers in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on Wednesday, May 28, 2014; so the lucky ticket-holder scooped the entire £2.9 million Lotto jackpot.

The winning lotto numbers were 18, 26, 32, 36, 40, and 45. The bonus number was 21.

No tickets matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, so the draw didn't produce any second tier winners,  but 96 ticket-holders won third tier prizes of £1,905 for matching  five numbers without the bonus ball, and 111,436 ticket holders won smaller prizes from the lower two tiers.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Saturday, May 31, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £4.3 million.

Part-Time Police Officer Cops a $1 Million Win

A cash-strapped police officer from Rankin, Pennsylvania, who has been working several jobs to support his wife and three children, was one of two lucky winners who  successfully matched five of the US Powerball numbers drawn on Saturday, May 24, and scooped a $1 million win.

Speaking in an interview with KDKA News reporter Brenda Water, Rankin Police Chief Ryan Wooten confirmed one of his men was a Powerball winner, and Wooten should know because he double-checked the ticket.

"So, we go down to the Super Stop, we slide it through the machine and it's like a one and all of these zeroes," Wooten explained.

The officer's name has not been made public at this time, but Wooton said the officer seems to have no plans to quit the force.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Lotto Winners Unite to Help a Worthy Cause

UK Lotto winners Mark and Trina Myatt picked up their paint brushes last week and got busy adding some color to the Canine Partners Southern Training Centre at Heyshott in Sussex.

The Hemel Hempstead couple, who scooped a £1 million win in 2009, were joined by 19 other National Lottery winners and, with a combined wealth of nearly £50 million, they were probably the wealthiest group of painters ever to apply a lick of paint in a good cause.

Over 1.2 million people in the UK use a wheelchair and have difficulties performing everyday tasks. Canine Partners specializes in providing specialist training to dogs, and tailoring it to individual needs, so the dogs can help with tasks their disabled human partners may find difficult such as picking up dropped items, opening and closing doors, and loading and unloading washing machines.

The Lotto volunteers visited the training center on Monday, May 19, 2014, and brightened the place up by adding a few coats of fresh paint to the puppy hall, the reception area, and the outside fencing.

Andy Cook, CEO of Canine Partners, said: "We were very grateful that so many National Lottery winners were prepared to give up their time, roll-up their sleeves and help us transform the training center."

The goodwill visit was arranged by National Lottery organizers Camelot UK. Canine Partners is also a past recipient of one of the 430,000 National Lottery grants that have been distributed to worthy causes around the UK.

Wisconsin Couple are Sitting Pretty after a $1 M Powerball Win

Babysitting proved to be a profitable venture for a couple from Wisconsin last week.

Frederic residents, Donald and JoAnn Marek, crossed four states to babysit their grandchildren in Louisiana. While they were there they purchased a US Powerball ticket from RaceTrac Petroleum in Slidell. The ticket matched five of the numbers drawn on Wednesday, May 21, and scooped them a $1 million win.

The couple picked up their winnings from Louisiana Lottery headquarters on Friday, May 23, 2014, and walked away with $700,000, after state and federal taxes.

When lottery officials enquired about his plans for the money Marek said he intended to lay it aside ready for his retirement.

The US Powerball is a multi-state draw that offers a minimum jackpot of $40 million. Numbers are drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 (EST). The next drawing is on Wednesday, May 28. The estimated jackpot is $152 million.

Things Turn Sour for Sweet Millions

The New York Lottery Sweet Millions game's days are numbered. The game will be scrapped next month and be replaced with the multi-state game Cash 4 Life.

The New York Gaming Commission announced the news on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, stating the Sweet Millions has been underperforming.

Cash 4 Life is being rolled out on June 13. Tickets will cost $2 and the game offers a top prize of $1,000 a day for life.  Drawings will be held on Mondays and Thursdays and the Gaming Commission has estimated the game will generate $8 million to $9 million a year for public education.

The first drawing will be held on Monday, June 16, 2014.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Ancient Castle Receives Lottery Funding

An ancient castle situated on the border between England and Wales could soon be open to the public thanks to a £500,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Hay Castle has had an eventful history since it was built 900 years ago by Norman Lord William de Braose. It has sacked by  Llewelyn II in 1233, was rebuilt by Henry III, and endured centuries of turmoil.

The Hay Castle Trust purchased the site in 2011 and is working towards opening the castle to the public for the first time in its 900-year history.

One of the first big jobs will be to restore the ancient gate—believed to be the oldest in the UK. Restoration work will also be required on the Medieval and Jacobean buildings and the Trust is actively seeking volunteers to assist them with the many different aspects of the project.

Nancy Lavin Albert, the Managing Director of Hay Castle, was delighted when she heard the bid for lottery assistance had been successful.

"We realize how many important projects there are that are equally deserving and we’re thrilled to know that others care about this project as much as we do," she said.

The HLF is responsible for distributing a share of the funds raised by UK National Lottery Good Causes. HLF grants are awarded to projects designed to sustain and transform the British Heritage.

The Hay Castle project has received a first round pass. In order to compete for a firm award the Trust will need to provide the HLF with fully developed proposals within the news two years.

Big Win for Illinois Factory Worker

A factory worker from Bartlett, Illinois, visited the lottery headquarters last week and claimed a $1 million Mega Millions prize.

Ron Ranallo's ticket matched five numbers drawn on Friday, May 16, 2014.

Ranallo's father purchased the Quick Pick ticket on his behalf.

"When we realized I'd won, we were absolutely shocked," Ranallo said.

If he'd added the Megaplier option to his ticket he would have picked up a $5 million prize because the Megaplier number was 5. Getting the Mega Ball would have scooped the estimated jackpot of $136 million, but $1 million is still a sizeable win and Ranallo plans to invest the money ready for his retirement.

"This lottery win gives me peace of mind," he said.

Beginner's Luck for Lotto Novice

A novice Lotto player who purchased a winning Quick Pick ticket was a little on the slow side when it came to claiming her prize.

Calgary resident Tania White bought her first Canada Lotto Max tickets in January 2014. She was blessed with a healthy dose of beginner's luck a few weeks later when she scooped a CAD$ 1 million Maxmillions prize on March 7, but the Lotto newbie didn't check her ticket until the end of April.

"I had six or eight tickets to check," White said. "I couldn’t believe it when the clerk told me I had won a million dollars."

Monday, May 26, 2014

Super-Lucky SuperLotto Plus Player Scoops $7 Million Jackpot

California SuperLotto Plus players are no strangers to rollovers this year. There have been two each week since the $8 million jackpot was scooped on January 1, 2014. The long spree of rollovers ended at the weekend when a ticket purchased from the Safeway supermarket on Noriega St. in Sunset District, San Francisco, matched all five numbers and the Mega Number in the Saturday, May, 24, 2014, drawing and won the $70 million jackpot.

The winning numbers were 13, 11, 23, 27, and 29. The Mega Number was 10.

The lucky ticket holder has won the largest SuperLotto Plus jackpot since the February 7, 2009, drawing when someone's numbers did them proud and scooped them a $76 million prize.

If the winner chooses to take their winnings as a one-off, lump-sum payment instead of the $70 million annuity payments they will receive $40.9 million before state and federal taxes.

The Safeway supermarket will receive $350,000 for selling a winning ticket.

Two players who matched all five numbers, but failed to get the Mega Number on Saturday, will each receive $30,108. Twenty-four players will receive prizes of $1,254 for matching four numbers and the Mega Number, and a further 179,593 players will receive smaller prizes ranging from $1 to $82.

California SuperLotto Plus drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 19.57 (PDT). The next drawing is on Wednesday, May 28, and has an estimated jackpot of $7 million.

Canadian Lotto Player Gets Two Surprises for the Price of One

A Canada Lotto Max player from Mississauga, Ontario, forgot to pick up his glasses before he popped down to his local grocery store to check his ticket and the oversight resulted in him getting two big surprises instead of one.

Retiree, Azad Datoo, 67, received his first surprise of the day when he ran his ticket through the self-scanner, read the words "Big Winner", and thought he'd just won a CAD$ 1,000 prize.

The long-sighted lotto winner got his second surprise when the store clerk double checked the ticket and told Datoo he'd actually won a CAD$ 1 million Maxmillions prize in the May 9, 2014 drawing.

When asked how he felt about winning such a large prize, Datoo said: "I'm calm and collected but also very appreciative."

Powerball Rollover Adds Yet More Money to the Pot

Two lucky ticket holders will each receive $1 million for matching the five winning US Powerball numbers on Saturday, May 24, 2014. To win the $132 million jackpot the Powerball would have been required as well, but neither ticket holder achieved this so yet another Powerball rollover has added a few million to the pot for the next draw.

The winning Powerball numbers were 15, 16, 28, 49, and 55. The Powerball number was 18.

Nineteen tickets matched four numbers and the Powerball, but only four players had added the Power Play option to their ticket. Saturdays Power Play number was 2 so the four Power Play ticket holders will receive checks for $20,000 instead of $10,000.

A further $2,835,777 was awarded in smaller prizes.

The US Powerball is a multi-state draw that offers a minimum jackpot of $40 million. Numbers are drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 (EST). The next draw is on Wednesday, May 28. The estimated jackpot of $152 million

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Welsh Syndicate Scoops a Nice Little Win

An upholster from Rhymney in Gwent, Wales, had a little extra cash to stuff into his wallet earlier this week courtesy of the UK National Lottery. Malcolm Facey, 50, is the Maerdy Social Club lottery syndicate leader and when he checked their lines on Sunday, May 18, he discovered they'd won £104,798 in the Saturday night Lotto drawing. There are ten men in the syndicate so each member will receive £10,479.80.

"I always check results for our 11 regular lines on TV on a Sunday morning," Facey explained. "We still play 11 lines, because one syndicate member, Gordon Williams, unfortunately passed away last year, but we still play his numbers."

Eager to share news of the win, Facey picked up the phone and began ringing the other syndicate members, but when syndicate member, Alan Edwards, noticed a missed call on his mobile he feared the worst.

"I saw a missed call on my phone from Malcolm and noticed that my wife had a missed call from him as well," Edwards said. "We joked at the time that we’d probably won the lottery, but then thought that it was likely that one of the boys had passed away."

Fellow syndicate member Anthony Thomas has no such worries and summed up his feeling in one word—'gobsmacked'—and the win came as such a surprise he found himself unable to take Facey's word for it.

"I had to check the numbers three times before I could believe it," Thomas admitted.

The ten lucky winners intend to celebrate their Lotto success by flying to the US later this year and testing their luck in Las Vegas.

UK Lotto Jackpot Goes to Two Ticket Holders

Two tickets matched the six winning numbers in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on Saturday, 24, 05, 2014; so the £5.3 million Lotto jackpot will be split two ways. Each lucky winner will receive £2,670,030.

The winning lotto numbers were 10, 31, 35, 40, 41, and 44. The bonus number was 46.
Two players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, to win second tier prizes of £213,119 each, and 160 ticket-holders won £2,261 for matching five numbers. A further £7,251,655 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Wednesday, May 28, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £2.2 million.

Teen Mom Scoops a Massive Win

Five months after the birth of her bundle of joy a 19-year-old girl from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, has won a whopping bundle of lottery cash.

Kelsie Hodgin was the only player who successfully matched all six numbers in the Canada Lotto 649 drawing on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, so she scooped the entire CAD$ 7 million jackpot.

Kelsie picked up her winner's check on Friday and said her lotto ticket purchase was made on a whim while out shopping with her boyfriend.

She now intends to invest some of her winnings in a new house and says she will save the rest of the money for her daughter.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Painter's Scraping earns him an Unexpected Bonus

A house painter from Springfield, Missouri, added a little extra color to his life earlier this month when he brushed-off a Missouri Lottery "$100,000 Fortune" scratch-off ticket and realized he'd just scratched his way to a $100,000 prize.

Brandon Miles, 27, purchased his winning ticket when he and some work buddies popped into the local Kum & Go gas station to stock up on snacks and soda, but his co-workers thought he was joking when he told them he'd finally picked up a winner.

"They always give me a hard time when I buy Scratchers tickets,” Miles said. “Nobody believed me when I scratched off a $100,000 winner."

He plans to use his winning to pay off some bills, start a fund for his four children, and is considering a trip to Mexico.

Wednesday's Powerball Rollover Could Mean Richer Pickings for Tonight's Players

No players managed to match the five numbers and the Powerball required to win the US Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, so the jackpot has been increased by another rollover.

The biggest prizes on Wednesday night were won by the five players who successfully matched five winning numbers to secure second tier wins of $1 million on tickets bought in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida, and Louisiana.

The Saturday, May 24, Powerball drawing is just hours away.  The numbers will be draw at 22:59 (Eastern Time) and the estimated jackpot has grown to $132 million.

Retired Bus Driver Picks up a Big Win

A retired bus driver from Devon, England, who won a sizeable UK National Lottery prize stashed his winning ticket in biscuit tin and took a holiday in Eastbourne before he claimed his prize.

Bideford resident, Eric Wilson, 70, was one of two players who successfully matched five numbers and the bonus ball in the UK Lotto drawing on Wednesday, May 7, 2014. His lucky numbers secured him a £94,340 prize, but Eric was due to start his holiday the following day so he decided to put-off contacting the lottery until he returned from his four-day-break.

"When I told a friend that even though I’d won the Lottery, I was still planning to go away and leave the ticket in a safe place, he said, ‘But what if the flat burns down?’, that’s why I put it in the tin," Eric explained.

Eric may not have let winning the lottery interfere with his holiday plans, but he admitted landing such a big win still came as a shock.

"The first thing I did was call my lady friend, Pat, and told her to come over straight away," Eric said, "she thought I was having a heart attack and couldn’t believe it when I told her what had happened."

Eric has already shared the good news with his two children and although he hasn't got around to celebrating yet he has treated himself to a second hand Peugeot 508 and said he may go away for a 'special trip' at the end of summer.

"This win really is just the icing on the cake for me, it means that I can enjoy my retirement without worrying about money," Eric said.

Friday, May 23, 2014

New Statistics Reveal Lady Luck is Playing Favorites in California

Does it matter where a lottery ticket is purchased? Are some areas luckier than others? Common sense would say no, but the results of a new study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) suggest that some areas really do seem hog an unusually large share of good luck.

The study was confined to locations within the state of California and statisticians at UCLA examined three years of data to reveal the luckiest and least lucky counties.

Rick Shoenberg, chairman of the statistics department at UCLA, didn’t expect to find much variance from area to area so he was shocked at what the figures revealed.

"Each player should have just as much chance of winning the lotto as any other player," Shoenberg said.

But an analysis of data supplied by the California State Lottery showed the county of Santa Clara had more winners per ticket, during the three year period examined, than any other county in California.

The statistics reveal Orange County is the second luckiest place to purchase lottery tickets and, although Los Angeles may be the City of Angels, lottery players in the city are not particularly blessed because the statistics show LA players have a no more than average chance of cashing in on a big win.

When it comes to the California SuperLotto Plus, good luck seems to be in short supply right across the state. The jackpot has not been won since January 1, 2014, so the drawing on Saturday, May 24, 2014, has an estimated jackpot of $70 million.

EuroMillions Raffle Winner Sought in Warwick

Time is running out for a EuroMillions Raffle winner in Warwick, England, and the UK National Lottery are urging players in Warwick to dig out their old tickets and check them over the bank holiday weekend before it is too late.

The prize was won in New Year's Eve Raffle draw and must be claimed before the 180 day deadline expires. If the prize is not claimed by the close of business on June 04, 2014, it will be too late and the prize will be allocated to National Lottery Good Causes.

The winning selection is GRN686516. Does one of your old tickets bear this selection? If so you should contact the National Lottery Line on 0845 910 0000.

Hollywood Player Ends Florida Lotto Rollovers — Jackpot Drops to $2 Million

There has been two Florida Lotto rollovers a week since the middle of January 2014, and the jackpot has been gradually growing larger with each passing draw, but the jackpot available on Saturday, May 24, 2014, has dropped to $2 million because a lucky ticket-holder in Hollywood (FL) matched all six of the numbers drawn on Wednesday night and scooped the $47 jackpot.

The Florida Lotto numbers drawn on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, were: 10, 12, 23, 34, 38, and 53.

Since their first drawing in 1988 the Florida Lotto has created over 1,200 millionaires and paid out over $37 billion in prizes. Drawings are held on Wednesday and Saturday at 23:15 (ET).

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Wednesday's UK Lotto Jackpot Split between Two Players

Two tickets matched the six winning numbers in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on Wednesday, May 21, 2014; so the £1.4 million Lotto jackpot will be split two ways. Each lucky winner will receive £737,287.

The winning lotto numbers were 02, 05, 09, 28, 29, and 48. The bonus number was 36.

Three players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £39,233 each and 237 ticket-holders won £421 for matching five numbers. A further £5,073,771 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Saturday, May 24, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £4.3 million.

UK Factory Worker Scoops a Big Win

The future is looking sweet for chocolate factory worker, Paul Cole, 51, thanks to £1 million EuroMillions Raffle win on Tuesday, May 13, 2014.

Paul lives with his parents at Bartley Green, Birmingham, and has spent the last 35 years working on the Roses Chocolates production line at the Cadburys factory in Bournville, but he has no immediate plans to quit his job.

Paul discovered he'd won when he received an email from the UK National Lottery, but he initially thought someone was playing a prank on him and went to work as normal.

"I had to get into work for my night shift so the lady from The National Lottery called me back when I got to work and confirmed I was a winner and that someone would come out and see me the next day." Paul explained.

Not one for making a fuss, he just worked his shift as normal and only shared the news with his father Eric, 79, and mother Florence, 75.

"My parents were obviously delighted for me," he said. "I took my dad on a little shopping spree the other day and bought him a Skoda Yeti."

Cars are Paul's passion in life so he is also planning on buying himself a new motor and presently has his sights set on a £65,000 Landrover Discovery.

Since news of the win got out Paul admits he's received a lot of extra attention from the ladies, but, despite all the extra hugs and kisses, he has no desire to become tied down in a relationship.

"I am not searching for love now I have won the lottery," Paul said.  "I think I will just stick to my cars."

Mega Millions Jackpot Scooped in Pennsylvania

Tuesday, May 20, 2014, was a lucky night for a US Mega Millions ticket holder in Pennsylvania because their ticket ended the recent bout of rollovers and scooped the massive $149 million jackpot. The win is also notable for being the first Mega Millions jackpot to be won on a Pennsylvanian ticket since the state began selling tickets to the draw in 2010.

Tuesday's winning Mega Millions numbers were 10, 40, 63, 64, and 69/ The Mega Ball was 7.

The lucky winner has yet to come forward and claim their life-changing prize.

Mega Millions is the biggest jackpot game in America. Jackpots start at $15 million and other prizes ranging from $1 to $1 million. Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 23:00 (ET). The next drawing is on Friday, May 23. The estimated jackpot is $15 million.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Retiree Claims First Prize in New Lottery Game

A retiree from Cowlitz County has become the first person to win the $50,000 top prize on the Washington Lottery's new "Tournament Slots" scratch-off game.

The Lottery announced the news on Tuesday morning and said Longview resident, Jeffrey Wagoner, bought his winning ticket from his local Fred Meyer superstore and claimed his prize on May 9, 2014.

Wagoner told Washington Lottery officials he is a regular lottery player and said this was his first big win. He plans to share the money with his wife and children.

Tournament Slots tickets cost $5. There are now four $50,000 top prizes left to be won. Other prizes range from $5 to $1,000 and the overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 3.79.

New Yorker Claims Powerball Prize

A US Powerball winner from Westfield New York Claimed a $1 million second tier prize from the drawing held on April 9, 2014.

The New York Lottery announced the news on Tuesday.

Janice Cochran, 68, bought her lucky ticket from the County Fair Store on Main Street in Brocton, but had no idea she'd won until she went online and checked her ticket a few days later.

"I saw the name of the store first and thought, 'That’s where I bought my ticket;'" Cochran said.

When she looked a little closer she was shocked to discover her numbers lined up on the screen.

She is now considering using some of the money to fund a trip to Arizona.

The US Powerball is a multi-state draw that offers a minimum jackpot of $40 million. Numbers are drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 (EST). The Wednesday, May 21, 2014, drawing has an estimated jackpot of $114 million.

Impatient Lottery Winner Arrested over Scratch-Off Incident

A man in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was arrested earlier this week after he threatened a store clerk who was too busy to cash his lottery ticket.

The incident occurred on Monday, May 19, 2014, at the SK Grocery Store on Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport.

Kahraman Asad, 30, purchased a scratch-off lottery ticket and won $10. By the time Asad had finished scratching off the ticket the store clerk was busy with another customer so when Asad wanted to claim his small prize the clerk was forced to ask him to wait.

Asad then became so upset he began picking up items from the counter and throwing them around the store.

The disturbance was reported to Bridgeport Police Department and an officer was sent to the store.

Officer Marie Cetti arrived at the store at 17:25, issued Asad with a citation for creating a public disturbance, and warned the lotto loon not to return to the store.

Officer Cetti was forced to return to the store some time later in response to allegations that Asad had ignored her warning, returned to the store anyway, and threatened the clerk.

Asad was no longer on the premises when Cetti arrived, but was apprehended on nearby Harral Avenue. He was charged with second-degree threatening and first-degree criminal trespass.

His bond has been set at $500.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

National Lottery asks "What's Your National Treasure?"

The UK National Lottery has been making dreams come true since their first drawing on November 19, 1994, and to celebrate their 20th anniversary the lottery has launched a campaign to find the UK's favorite lottery-funded projects to date.

The What’s Your National Treasure? Campaign was launched on Monday, May 19, and the lottery is encouraging everyone to cast their vote and name their favorite national treasure in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Voters have 48 well known places to choose from including Ben Nevis, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and as a thank you for taking the time to vote the lottery is giving voters the chance to win on of five iPad Airs.

The lottery has also put together a list of 20 celebrities who have either served as ambassadors for National Lottery funding or given their support to projects that received funding. The list includes many household names including Esther Rantzen, Stephen Fry, and Sir Anthony Hopkins; and voters will also be given the chance to pick their favorite personality.

The National Lottery hopes the new campaign will help raise awareness of the many ways lottery funding has been put to work since the first tickets went on sale in 1994 and draw attention to the incredible £31 billion that has been invested in all manner of projects across the UK.

Votes can be cast on Facebook.com/LotteryGoodCauses until midnight on May 27. The results will be announced later on in the year.

Powerball Player Claims his Prize at Last

The Iowa Lottery can finally end their six month search for the winner of the $1 million US Powerball prize won on a ticket purchased in Tipton, Iowa, on November 16, 2013.

The prize has been claimed by a man from the state of Missouri who purchased the ticket when he stopped to get some gas while passing through Iowa on business.

Richard Watson, 58, claimed his prize on Monday, May 19, 2014, after his bank rang him and told him to contact the Iowa lottery.

Iowa Lottery investigators had contacted the Kum & Go gas station and managed to gather sufficient information to tie the winning ticket purchase to Watson and get in touch with his bank.

"I travel for work and I have a bundle of lottery tickets that I was planning on going through, but I hadn’t yet," Watson explained. "And I received a call that I thought was a scam, but it turned out it wasn’t."

Eurojackpot Scooped on a Slovenian Ticket

Last Friday's EuroJackpot €28.2 million Jackpot was won on a ticket purchased in Žalec, Slovenia, and the lucky ticket-holder has an additional reason to celebrate because they have also set a new record by scooping the largest lottery prize ever to be won on a Slovenian ticket.

The ticket holder has yet to come forward to claim their prize and the Mayor of Žalec, Janko Kos said it is unclear whether the winning ticket was purchased by local resident or a visitor to the municipality.

The prize is eligible for local taxes so 15% will be deducted and the winner will walk away with €23.97 million.

The next Eurojackpot drawing is on Friday, May 23, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €10 million.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Lotterywest Chief Executive Plans to Retire

Lotterywest's chief executive, Jan Stewart, has announced she plans to retire at the end of the year.

Stewart began working for the corporation 27 years ago, when it was still known as the Lotteries Commission of Western Australia, and has held her present position for 22 years.

During her time serving as chief executive Stewart has overseen the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollors in community grants and had the pleasure of dishing out numerous life-changing prizes to lucky Australian lottery players.

Stewart admits she had no idea how to run a lottery when she was initially hired as temporary chief executive.

"It was never the job for me but I just became completely engaged in it," she said, speaking on Saturday, May 17, 2014.

Premier Colin Barnett said Lotterywest's annual sales had grown considerably during Stewarts time serving as chief executive—from $231 million during her first year to a forecast $817 million this year.

Speaking of the future, Stewart said the rising popularity of online gambling would be a challenge, but stated her confidence that the community's long-running association with Lotterywest would continue.

"We are very lucky to have a lottery that belongs to the community," she said and stated the real challenge would be helping a new generation of players to understand that even if their tickets don’t return a big win they would be contributing to the community.

On learning of Stewart's upcoming retirement, Perth International Arts Festival chairwoman Margaret Seares said she would be "missed around the table".

Californian Couple Arrested for Trying to Scam the Lottery

A convenience store clerk and her fiancé have been arrested for conspiring to scam the California Lottery.

Kamrun Nahar Nipa, 24, and Miggel Hewage Wijesena, 28, were caught out in April when an undercover California Lottery inspector called at the gas station mini-mart where Nipa worked and presented her with a decoy lottery ticket worth $20,000.

Nipa told the inspector he'd handed her a losing ticket, but held onto it. The following day she and Wijesena turned up at the lottery office and tried to claim the prize.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit grand theft, attempted grand theft of personal property, perjury by declaration and presentation of a fraudulent claim.

If they are convicted on all counts Nipa and Wijesena could be facing a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in jail.

Big Jackpots in Europe this Week

The jackpot for tonight's French Lotto drawing is €23 million. To win the jackpot players need to match all five main numbers drawn and the "Chance" number (Lucky Number). If nobody wins the jackpot it will rollover to the Wednesday night drawing and, if the numbers drawn permit, it will rollover again to provide players with an even larger jackpot to play for on Saturday night; so it could be an exciting week for French Lotto players.

The French Lotto isn't the only European lottery offering a sizeable jackpot this week. Tuesday's Italian SuperEnalotto drawing has a jackpot of €19.9 million and, later in the week, Spain's Thursday night La Primitiva drawing boasts a jackpot of €37.5 million. As is often the case though, EuroMillions players are offered the most tempting European jackpot of all. The next drawing is on Tuesday and has an estimated jackpot of €48 million.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Canadian Woman Saves Her Mother from Lottery Scammers

A Canadian woman who saved her elderly mother from falling victim to a lottery scam is so outraged by the situation she has gone public to try and ensure other people don't fall for the same lies that fooled her mother.

Diana Barnowich first discovered something was wrong on Thursday, May 15, 2014, when she received an early morning phone call from a staff member at her mother's assisted-living residence. Barnowich's mother was eager to post a large envelope and staff at the center had become worried about what the envelope may contain.

Barnowich rushed to the center, took a look inside the mysterious envelope, and found it contained a smaller envelope stuffed with CAD$ 2,500 in cash.

When she pressed her mother on the subject Barnowich learned the money was intended to pay for the release of a CAD$ 3 million Jamaican Lottery prize. She also learned her old mother had already mailed the scam artists five checks totaling CAD$ 11,300.

Barnowich rang her mother's bank and managed to prevent the payments going through, but the tricksters had come so close to pulling off their devious plan it set her blood boiling.

"I'm so upset someone would do this", Barnowich said. "We want to warn people—especially seniors—if someone calls you and says you won money from a lottery that you have never entered, it's a scam. They're so cunning. Don't get into a conversation. Just hang up immediately."

Western Canada Lottery Corporation spokesman Kevin van Egdom said: "A legitimate lottery doesn't find people and enter them into a draw. Anyone who asks you to pay money in advance to receive a prize, that's a scam."

Two Ticket Holders Scoop Saturdays National Lottery Jackpot

Two tickets matched the six winning numbers in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on Saturday, May 17, 2014; so the £7 million Lotto jackpot will be split two ways. Each lucky winner will receive £3,523,651.

The winning lotto numbers were 10, 19, 20, 33, 43, and 46. The bonus number was 25.

Four players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, to win second tier prizes of £104,798 each, and 186 ticket-holders won £1,913 for matching five numbers. A further £7,856,865 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Wednesday, May 21, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £2.1 million.

New Brunswick Couple Win CAD$ 9.9 Million

Wednesday's CAD$ 9.9 million Canada Lotto 649 jackpot has been claimed by a couple from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia.

Lower Coverdale residents Peter and Rhonda Lockhart discovered their win on Thursday and had an extra reason to celebrate because it was their fifth wedding anniversary.

The Lockharts picked up their check on Friday and said they plan to use some of the money to renovate their home and fund some landscaping work in the garden.

To win the Canada Lotto 649 jackpot players have to match all six numbers drawn. Jackpots start at CAD$ 5 million and have no cap. The largest Lotto 649 jackpot to date was won on April 13, 2013, when four winners each took a share of CAN$ 63.4 million pot.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

New Yorker Receives a Mega Millions Reward for Being Impulsive

An impulsive lottery ticket purchase became a life-changing decision for Long Island hospital orderly Cameron Finney, 48, when his last-minute lotto selection turned out to be a winning decision.

Finney purchased his US Mega Millions lottery ticket from a Gascon gas station on Tuesday, March 25, 2014. He'd only stopped to top off his tank, but decided to take a chance on the lottery when he found a little extra change in his pocket. The Mega Millions numbers drawn that evening were 19, 26, 51, 57, 73 and the Mega Ball was 15. The numbers were a perfect match for those on Finney's ticket, and he discovered this the following morning, but waited nearly two months before coming forward and claiming his $20 million prize.

When he visited the New York Lottery headquarters on Thursday, May 15, 2014, Finney told lottery officials the win had made him so nervous he'd slept with the ticket under his pillow for a couple of nights. Since then he's had it safely tucked away in a bank safety deposit box.

Finney opted to take is winnings in a one-off, lump-sum payment and will receive $7.4 million, after state and federal taxes. He now plans to retire and buy a new home. He also intends to help out a few charities that are close to his heart, but has no intention of wasting his money.

."It's going to last until I'm gone," he said.

Mega Millions is the biggest jackpot game in America. Jackpots start at $15 million and other prizes ranging from $1 to $1 million.  Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 23:00 (ET). The Estimated jackpot for the drawing on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, is $149 million.

Is the National Lottery Losing its Mojo?

A new survey conducted by the UK Gambling Commission shows the number of Brits buying lottery tickets is steadily declining.

When the Commission conducted their annual survey in 2012 46% of respondents said they played the National Lottery at least once each month. By the time the next survey was conducted in 2013 the number of had dropped to 43%. This year only 41% of respondents said they play the lottery at least once a month.

The Gambling Commission regulates commercial gambling in Great Britain.  On October 01, 2013, it also took over the responsibilities of the National Lottery Commission to regulate the National Lottery under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993.

Lotto Winner Has Musical Ambitions

A lotto winner from Port au Choix, Canada, visited the Atlantic Lottery's headquarters on Thursday, May 15, and revealed her first big plans for the future. She said she intends to see the Rolling Stones playing live and also plans to go to a Bruce Springsteen in concert.

Delores Rumbolt won the guaranteed $1-million prize in the Lotto 649 drawing held on May 7, but had no idea that shed won until she visited her local Circle K supermarket on Thursday morning to collect a CAD$ 50 prize from a Scratch 'n Win ticket. She had checked her lotto ticket at the same time and got the shock of her life when the store clerk told her how much she'd won.

With money no longer an object, Rumbolt has only one thing standing between her and her dreams—she's not sure of the relevant gig dates for the Stones and Springsteen concerts.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Florida Lottery Takes Action against Fraudulent Activity

The Florida Lottery has suspended 11 retailers and removed lottery equipment from their stores.

The lottery announced the news earlier this week and said the suspensions would remain in place while it continues its investigation into possible fraudulent activity.

A lottery spokesperson said: "Recent research and analysis of lottery ticket sales and redemptions have prompted additional investigations into retailer establishments around the state. Those investigations have revealed suspicious ticket purchases and claims among some of our retailers."

Records show one retailer claimed five $1,000 prizes in a single day and he and his mother had claimed 47 $1,000 prizes in three years.

The odds of winning $1,000 in a scratch-off game are about 1 in 2,000.

Snake's Lottery Tip Works like a Charm

Residents of the Chup Commune in Kampong Cham, Cambodia, are paying homage to a large python because they believe it is imbued with powers that can make them win the lottery.

The snake is presently nesting in a woodpile where it has laid 23 eggs.

Pythons are revered in Cambodia so when, Asuna Sports Centre owner, Chan Sokheng discovered the snake's hiding place word soon got around.

Local resident Chan Thea, 43, immediately sought out the snake and offered up prayers to it. Thea claims the python responded by transmitting a series of numbers to him which he later used to win the lottery.

"The python became magic. I prayed to it and then I won the lottery draw," Thea said.

National Lottery Player Gets his Dream Win

An Engineer from Essex proved that dreams really can come true when he picked up a share of the £3.5 million UK National Lottery Lotto Jackpot on Saturday, May 10, 2014.

Terry Vigus, 58, was one of three players who successfully matched the six numbers drawn that night. Each player received a £1,171,812 share of the pot, but for Terry the win brought on feelings of déjà vu.

"Three weeks ago I had a very vivid dream about the lottery. I saw the balls drop and—one by one—they matched the numbers on my ticket," Terry explained. "In my dream I had matched five and was waiting for the sixth ball to fall when I suddenly woke up!"

Waking at such a crucial moment annoyed him at the time, but although he told his wife Linda about the dream Terry managed to put the matter out of his mind. Then he saw his numbers flash up on the TV screen and everything seemed to 'fit into place'.

The couple didn't need to spend any time checking their ticket because their numbers were based on family birthdays so they both knew them off by heart.

"It's taking time for me to make sense of it," Terry said, "but I know it will make life for the whole family so much easier. No more money worries—it’s a good start."

Terry now plans to pay off his mortgage and his next big dream is to buy a top-of-the-range motorhome.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Washington Lottery Player Enjoys an Incredible Lucky Streak

A retired railroad worker from Kennewick, Washington, is presently enjoying a lotto winning streak. On April 26, 2014, Jeremiah Faith won $10,002 in the Washington Lottery's daily "Match 4" drawing. It was his fifth lottery win in less than five years.

Faith's lucky streak began on May 7, 2010 when he won $250,000 playing the multi-state Mega Millions game. He didn't’ win any further lottery prizes for three years then Lady Luck favored him again and allowed him there more wins.

In March 2013, he won $10,000 dollars playing Match 4. Then on May 4, 2013, he won another £10,008 and proved his luck again the following day when he won $10,040. His total winnings add up to about $290,000.

When asked about his incredible good luck Faith said that he is not superstitious, and doesn't rely on good luck charms, but admitted he had noticed a pattern emerging.

"I play every day, but so far I usually only win on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays," he said, and added his previous wins had usually rolled in near the end of the month.

Although his largest lottery payday came courtesy of the US Mega Million game most of his lottery checks have been from Match 4 and Faith said he mostly sticks with the same numbers, but does make changes if he thinks it is necessary.

"I like some numbers more than others," he explained, "But if one number isn't working, I’m not afraid to change it."

When it comes to winning though, Faith believes it all comes down to a positive attitude.

"Anyone can win, you just have to believe you can," he said.

UK Lotto Jackpot Rollsover

No tickets matched the six main numbers necessary to win the £2.8 million jackpot in UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, so the draw ended in a rollover.

The winning lotto numbers were 15, 26, 29, 35, 36, and 41. The bonus number was 19.

Only one player matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, to win second tier prize of £223,134, but 61 ticket-holders won £3,105 for matching five numbers. A further £3,632,272 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Saturday, May 17, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £6.3 million.

Lotto Cash Makes Mother's Day

A woman from Perth, Australia, made a snap decision at the weekend and bought herself a lotto ticket as treat for Mother's Day. It turned out to be a gift she will remember for the rest of her life because her impromptu purchase scooped her an AUD$ 1 million win in the Australia Monday Lotto draw.

"I was in a bit of a rush on the day I purchased it but made a quick decision to treat myself," the woman said, but admitted she never expected to win such a large prize.

"I have been in complete shock and the news still hasn’t sunk in," she added.

The Monday, May 19, 2014, Australia Lotto drawing also has an estimated AUD$ 1 million jackpot, but Saturday's Australia Lotto drawing boasts a more sizeable prize because the jackpot is AUD$ 21 million.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Wyoming Lottery Tickets Expected to Go on Sale in August

The Wyoming Lottery Corporation is moving every closer to its first WyoLotto drawing. Speaking on Monday, May 12, 2014, at a special meeting in Casper, the corporation's CEO Jon Clontz told the board of directors the first tickets would go on sale Sunday, August 24.

Clontz also told the board a media and marketing blitz would probably be initiated during the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in July and a state-wide campaign would follow.

Contracts are yet to be completed with the 400 to 500 retailers chosen to sell Wyoming Lottery tickets and potential retailers will need to be vetted before contracts can be awarded. Lottery ticket machines will then need to be installed at the chosen retail outlets.

The lottery is also busy researching additional games to offer Wyoming lottery players and plans to include the two big multi-state games US Mega Millions and US Powerball. Mega Millions drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Powerball numbers are drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays; so the Wyoming Lottery will have to choose draw days that are compatible with those of the two big games.

The lottery anticipates ticket sales of $13.4 million over the first 10 months and the 12 month revenue has been estimated to be $16.8 million, but there is still a lot to be done before the first Wyoming Lottery tickets go on sale in August and the lottery board has yet to decide whether the identity of winners will be made public.

Board Chairman Brian Gamroth said many people had contacted him, stating they would wish to remain anonymous if they won, and Gamroth said he agreed with their point of view. The matter has been scheduled for discussion at a future meeting.

Oregon Couple Waits a Month for their Megabucks Prize

A couple from Jackson County, Oregon, scooped a $4.1 million win on the Oregon Megabucks Lottery then waited over four weeks before they claimed their prize.

Instead of contacting the state lottery, Central Point residents Don and Betty Gaeden got in touch with a financial planner, discussed the best way to collect their winnings, and asked about the tax implication resulting from such a big win.

After we found out [about the win], we just went on like nothing had happened," Don explained when they claimed their prize earlier this week. "We wanted to make sure we were ready."

The Gaedens chose to take their prize as a one-off, lump-sum payment. According to Oregon Lottery rules, winners who decide against being paid in annuity payments receive only half the advertised jackpot, so the couple walked away with $1.37 million after state and federal taxes.

Lotto Max Winner's Big Win was Bigger than she Thought

Ontario's latest lotto millionaire picked up her CAD$ 50 million Canada Lotto Max check on Tuesday and admitted she originally thought she'd won CAD$ 50,000.

Toronto resident Sophie Rizavas, 63, won the jackpot in the Friday, May 9, 2014, drawing, but didn’t discover she'd won until the following day when she visited a local retailer and checked her ticket.

When the machine buzzed and began flashing the retailer said: "I think it’s $10,000."

Rizavas disagreed, stating: "I don’t think so, I think it’s $50,000."

They were both wrong and when everyone in the store came over to congratulate her Rizavas became so emotional she began to cry.

She wasn't the only one who was moved to tears.

"The retailer started crying as well," she said.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Weir Would YES Scotland be without its EuroMillonaire Supporters?

New figures reveal the YES Scotland campaign appears to be almost totally funded by the EuroMillions winners Chris and Colin Weir.

YES  is an alliance of the Scottish Green Party, the Scottish National Party, Scottish Socialist Party, and other groups that believe Scotland should be an independent country. The campaign began in Edinburgh on May 25, 2012, and YES supporters hope to convince Scottish citizens to say "yes" to a break away from the rest of the UK in the Scottish independence referendum later this year.

The Weirs won the £161m EuroMillions jackpot in July 2012. Since then they have made generous donations to many charitable causes, but their avid support of the "yes" vote has resulted in so much criticism they felt impelled to defend their actions in a recent open letter to the Scottish newspapers stating: "As lifelong supporters of independence, it would be strange if we did not support the YES Scotland campaign. So that is what we have done, nothing more and nothing less."

YES says it has received over £3million in donations in the past year. Two hefty cash injections from the Weirs account for £2.5 million of the donated funds.

The campaign director for the opposing Better Together campaign, Blair McDougall, said: "We now know why they [YES Scotland] have been hiding their donations for so long.

"Whilst Better Together relies on the support of a broad mixture of large donors and thousands of ordinary people giving what they can, it is clear that the nationalists are almost completely dependent on one source of income."

22 Lottery Scammers Arrested in Jamaica

Twenty-two people in Westmoreland, Jamaica, have been arrested for lottery scamming.

The arrests were made on Sunday, May 11, 2014, at 05:00, when members of the Jamaican Anti Lottery Scam Task Force and local law enforcement officers carried out simultaneous raids in the Westmoreland communities of Cornwall Mountain, Belvedere, Petersfield, and Lambs River.

Computers, tablets, and cellular phones were seized along with a quantity of lead-lists containing the details of potential victims, most of which were elderly US citizens.

The police have issued a warning to lottery scam artists, stating they will take a zero tolerance approach to any breaches of the Law Reform Act.

Mega Millions Jackpot Continues to Grow

The US Mega Millions jackpot just keeps on growing. One lucky player scooped a $30 million Jackpot win on April 4, 2014, but there has been two rollovers each week since then and the estimated jackpot for last Friday's draw was $105 million.

That's a serious amount of money, but although three ticket-holders won a $1 million prize for successfully matching five of the numbers drawn on Friday, nobody managed to match all five numbers and the Powerball, so the latest rollover has increased the size of the pot by $16 million.

The next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday, May 13, at 23:00 (ET). The estimated jackpot is $121 million.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Mother and Son are a Winning Combination

A mother and son lottery playing duo from Chicago visited the Illinois Lottery Headquarters on Thursday, May 8, 2014, and claimed a life-changing prize.

Shirley Stojak, 77, works at the Jewel-Osco supermarket in Niles. She's worked there for 15 years and often purchases lottery for her son Daniel Stojak, 46.

Some of Shirley's past in-store lottery ticket purchases have reaped a few small wins, and one $10,000 prize, but she went weak at the knees on April 1, 2014, when she scratched off the ticket she'd bought for her son and realized it was worth $2.5 million.

"The whole body started to go," she said. "I couldn't stop shaking. I always dreamed it could happen, but I never thought it would happen to me."

When Shirley rang Daniel to tell him the news he thought she was playing an April Fool's Day prank and got quite a surprise when he realized his mother was being serious.

"I was a little shocked," Daniel said. "I didn't sleep for a few days."

He chose to take the winnings as a one-off, lump-sum payment of $1.5 million (before state and federal taxes) and the Jewel-Osco supermarket received a $25,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Daniel now plans to take a vacation and is considering buying a new car. He also offered to pay for his mother to retire, but she doesn't want to and she's more popular than ever with people at work.

"They come up and rub me," Shirley said. "They say, 'I need your luck.'"

Finland Gets New Geolottery Game

Finland's national lottery organizer, Veikkaus, announced the launch of a new game last week.

The new daily game was created by the Swedish lottery supplier Genera Networks. Its officialy called Nabor, but Veikkaus has given the game a new name and Finnish players will know it as Naapurit (The Neighbors).

Players take part in the game by entering their home address. Winners are selected in a raffle and secondary prizes are awarded to the players who live closest to the main winner. Each entry is valid for an entire calendar month of drawings.

Veikkaus chief executive officer Juha Koponen said: "Veikkaus strives to be a leader in the industry and we are excited to be among the first ones to launch a geolottery format."

The annual turnover for the new game is expected to exceed €100 million.

Who is the New Hoosier Lotto Millionaire?

Saturday, May 10, 2014, will be a night to remember for some lucky Hoosier Lotto player because it was the night their six lotto numbers played a game of snap and won the $27.5 million jackpot.

The Hoosier Lottery announced the news on Sunday, May 11, and urged players to check their tickets to see if they were Indiana's latest lotto millionaire.

May 11, 2014, is Mother's Day in the USA, but mother, father, or singleton, owning a $27.5 million lotto ticket is bound to have made someone's day.

The winning ticket was bought in Kokomo and bears the winning numbers: 9, 16, 34, 37, 45, and 46.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Three Way Split for Lotto Jackpot

Three tickets matched the six winning numbers in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on Saturday, May 5, 2014 so the £3.5 million Lotto jackpot will be split three ways. Each lucky winner will receive £1,171,812.

The winning lotto numbers were 10, 05, 08, 17, 16, and 3. The bonus number was 46.

Five players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, to win second tier prizes of £34,347 each, and 699 ticket-holders won £208 for matching five numbers. A further £13,947,150 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Wednesday, May 14, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £2.1 million.

Nova Scotian Winners Letting it 'Sink In'

Nova Scotia residents, Karen and Jim MacKay, visited the Atlantic Lottery Corporation headquarters on Friday, May 9, 2014, picked up a large winner's check, and said they were still letting their change in circumstances 'sink in'.

The couple won the guaranteed CAD$ 1 million prize in the Canada Lotto 649 drawing on May 3.

Entries to the guaranteed prize draw are given away with every CAD$3 Lotto 649 play, and one guaranteed CAD$1 million is up for grabs each draw night.

Lotto 649 drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays and players need to match all six numbers drawn to win the jackpot. The estimated Lotto 649 Jackpot for Wednesday May 14, 2014 is CAD$ 10 million.

Lottery Funds Go to Seed—but in a Good Way

Groups of young children in County Tyrone, Ireland, were busy planting seeds earlier this week for the for the Benburb District Community Association’s bluebell walk. The seed planting project is part of the £10.5 million Grow Wild campaign—a four year programme funded by the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Big Lottery fund.

Community group representative, Damian Mullan, said: "It was a brilliant day and everyone, young and old, had great fun."

The group hopes the project will help young people take more interest in, and develop a better understanding of, their environment.

"It’s really exciting seeing people enjoying their local environment and learning about the area at the same time," Mullan said.

Joanne McDowell, Big Lottery Fund Northern Ireland director, said: :Grow Wild is about making connections. Connecting people with nature, connecting people with the places where they live, and connecting people with each other across generations."

The Big Lottery Fund distributes 40% of the money the UK National Lottery sets aside for good causes. The money is used to provide assistance to community groups and projects that are believed to have a positive impact on health, education, and the environment.

The National Lottery recently produced a short animated film to try and make people more aware of all the ways lottery funding gives something back to UK communities.  The Just Imagine Life without National Lottery Funding video was released last week on YouTube and has already clocked-up  nearly 30,000 views.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Arizona Pick Winners Pick up their Prize

Almost two weeks after they won the Saturday, April 26, 2014, Arizona Pick jackpot a couple from Phoenix has come forward to claim their $3.3 million prize.

Robert and Anna Brito wore winning smiles as they held up an oversized ceremonial check on Thursday, May 8, but they have no immediate plans for any lavish purchases or changes in their lifestyle. The couple has taken a level-headed approach to becoming millionaires and delayed claiming their prize until they had decided on a responsible way to handle their new financial situation.

"We have invested it and it will go to a trust fund for the whole family," Robert said. "We knew that it was the right thing to do for us. We just want to stay on schedule, stick with our plans and enjoy life."

Robert is a regular lottery player. This is the first time his numbers have returned a sizable win, but he said he has never had any doubts that his twice weekly lottery spend was anything but money well spent.

"It's just a chance that we may be blessed, because I know that dollar that I spend, if I don't win, will bless someone else," he said.

The Britos chose to take their winnings in annuity payments of $2,036,016.90, payable over 30 years.

"I just want to say thank you to Arizona and thank you to the lottery," Robert said.

Pompano Beach Man Claims Mega Money Prize

Pompano Beach resident, Alvin Forrester, 64, has claimed the $1.5 million jackpot from the Florida Lottery Mega Money drawing held on May 2, 2014.  The Lottery announced the news on Thursday and said Forrester chose to take his winnings as a one-off lump-sum payment of $1,157,521.02.

Forrester purchased his winning ticket from the Food Plus Food Store on North Dixie Highway, Pompano Beach, and the store received a $1,000 bonus for selling a jackpot-winning ticket.

Meanwhile, the Florida Lotto jackpot continues to be evasive. There was a rollover on January 22, 2014, and the rollovers haven't stopped since, so the estimated jackpot for Saturday, May 10, is $43 million.

UK EuroMillions Player Claims £73 Million Jackpot

The wait is over. The UK EuroMillions player who scooped the £73 million jackpot on Friday, May 2, 2014, has finally come forward to claim their prize. The National Lottery announced the news on Friday and said the winner had decided to remain anonymous.

"This is the country's second massive EuroMillions jackpot win this year," a National Lottery representative said.  "This huge win ranks eighth biggest on the National Lottery Rich list and the ticket-holder can now start to enjoy their life-changing prize."

No player managed to match the five numbers and two lucky stars necessary to win the £20 million EuroMillions jackpot on Friday, May 9, so the Tuesday, May 13, draw has an estimated jackpot of £25 million.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Posh Club Gets Lottery Funding

A posh club for pensioners in Crawley, West Sussex, has been awarded £39,000 per year in funding from the UK National Lottery's Big Lottery fund.

The "Posh Club" spices up its members lives by providing them with sophisticated afternoon teas, champagne, and variety acts. The club boasts over 80 members and holds weekly get-togethers at St Mary's Church Hall, Southgate, on Monday evenings. In keeping with the swanky theme of the club, members must don their most elegant clothes and the club even arranges optional pre-event hair dressing sessions.

Social isolation has proved to be a big problem for many of Crawley's older residents and the Posh Club, formerly called "The Tuesday Club", has been a big hit with all involved.

Massachusetts Mass Cash Jackpot Scooped on Wednesday

In an announcement made on Thursday, May 8, the Massachusetts State Lottery said a ticket purchased from the Tedeschi Food Shops in Brockton, Plymouth County, matched all five numbers in the Mass Cash drawing on Wednesday night.

The numbers drawn were 02, 09, 11, 29, and 32 and the winning ticket is worth $100,000.

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Megabucks Jackpot is still up for grabs. To win the Massachusetts Megabucks jackpot Players need to match all six of the numbers drawn, but nobody has managed to this in a long time and the jackpot has not been won once this year.

Drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 23:20 (EDT).  The estimated jackpot for Saturday, May 10, 2014 is $5.2 million.

What a Lotto Big Jackpots!

Big Jackpots abound tonight. The Friday, May 9, EuroMillions draw has an estimated jackpot of £20 million. That's a big money prize that could make some very big dreams come true for someone, but if nobody matches the five numbers and two Lucky Stars drawn the prize will rollover to offer players a bigger pot to shoot for on Tuesday night.

The Canada Lotto Max drawing boasts a larger jackpot still. Some lucky punter could win CAD$ 50 million, but the potential for big prizes does not end there because there are also 7 Maxmillions prizes up for grabs.

Maxmillions are additional CAD$1 million prizes that come into play when the Canada Lotto Max Jackpot reaches CAD$50 million, and the amount of available Maxmillions prizes usually increases every time the main draw ends in a rollover.

Whenever Maxmillions prizes are available every Lotto Max ticket is automatically entered into all available draws. Players need to match all seven numbers drawn to win a Maxmillions jackpot and if the prizes are not won they rollover to the next drawing as well, making Lotto Max more exciting each week until someone finally scoops the CAD$50 million jackpot.

It may be an exciting time for Lotto Max players, but the US Mega Millions drawing takes that excitement and then times it by two because the Friday, May 9, jackpot is a staggering $105 million. That's more than the EuroMillions jackpot, the Lotto Max Jackpot, and all the Maxmillions prizes put together. It's a huge wad of cash, but it's still a baby jackpot by Mega Millions standards and it will take many more rollovers before it beats the, March 2012,  jackpot of $656 million

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Big Win for Retired Horse Trainer

A retired horse trainer from West Virginia won $2 million in the Saturday, May 3, 2014, US Powerball drawing.

The numbers drawn that night were 05, 15, 16, 46, and 49. The Powerball was 26.

Players need to match all five numbers and the Powerball to win the jackpot. Ranson resident Angel Gonzales matched five of the main numbers drawn, but failed to get the Powerball. The prize for matching five main numbers is usually $1 million, but Gonzales had thrown in an extra dollar, and added the Powerplay option to his ticket, so he doubled his luck and received an extra $1 million.

Gonzales bought his ticket from his local Shell gas station on Fairfax Boulevard in Ranson.

"I am overwhelmed," Gonzales said, speaking earlier this week. "I will use this money to help take care of my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren."

It's a good job he had such a sizeable win because Gonazles, who emigrated from Puerto Rico in 1979, has 13 grandchildren and 13 great, great grandchildren.

Gonzales watched the Powerball drawing on Saturday night and ticked off the numbers as they were announced.

"I kept saying ‘come on’ with each number and then I realized I had five," he said. "I immediately called my daughter in Puerto Rico and told her 'you will not believe this.'"

Gonzales admits to being a keen lottery player and regularly chances his luck on many of the Virginia Lottery's in-state games as well as the two big inter-state games, Powerball and Mega Millions.

The next Powerball drawing is on Saturday, May 10, at 22:59 (Eastern Time). The estimated jackpot is $80 million.

Maryland Player Gets Mega Millions

A US Mega Millions player from Maryland has come forward to claim half of the $414 million jackpot from the March 18, 2014 drawing.

Maryland Lottery officials made the announcement on Tuesday, May 6, and said the winner wishes to remain anonymous.

The winner opted to take their winnings as a one-off, lump-sum payment of $76.4 million, after taxes and Lady's Liquors in La Planta, Maryland, will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 23:00 (Eastern Time). The estimated jackpot for the Friday, May 9, 2014, drawing is $105 million.

Powerball Player Gets Lucky with Declined Ticket

Rosalia Trujillo from Tucumcari, New Mexico, scored a $30,000 US Powerball win in the April 26, drawing using a ticket that had been declined by another player.

Lottery players have the right to decline a ticket if they wish. Retailers are then free to offer the declined ticket to another player, but if it is not sold by the time of the draw the retailer must pay for the ticket.

Trujillo believes declined tickets are extra lucky because her brother won $100 with a declined ticket.

"I like to go into the different stores to see if they have any mistakes," Trujillo said. "The clerks think I'm crazy, but you never know."

She now intends to use some of the money to pay for improvements to her home and says she will lay the rest aside ready for her upcoming wedding this September.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Lack of Sleep and Cash Aplenty for New York Man

A former finance worker from Arden Heights, Straten Island, picked up a New York Lottery winner's check on Tuesday and said his $7.5 million win was the result of a bout of insomnia.

Salvatore Gandolfo, 55, bought his lucky New York Lottery "Silver Spectacular" scratch-off ticket in the early hours of April 1, 2014. He should have been at home in bed, but had been kept awake by memories of the past.

"It was about 3 or 4 in the morning. I couldn’t sleep," Gandolfo said. "I woke up and ate breakfast. I put on my clothes, got in my car and drove."

Gandolfo's nocturnal travels took him to the Richmond Deli & Grocery in Mariners Harbor, and when the retiree's unscheduled ticket purchase resulted in a big win he thought he must be dreaming.

"I scanned it and it said ‘big ticket winner.’ I thought there was something wrong with the ticket," Gandolfo said. "It didn’t sink in. It didn’t register in my mind."

When the truth finally dawned on him the New York insomniac was over the moon and celebrated his good fortune by handing a $20 bill to a kid at the store and giving another stranger a $40 winning lottery ticket.

Gandolfo opted to take his winnings are a one-off lump-sum payment of $4,672,800 and said he intends to use the money to fund some travelling, buy a new car, and help out his family.

Tacoma Resident Claims Washington Lotto Winnings

A woman from Tacoma has claimed a $2.2 million share of the $4.4 million jackpot from the Washington Lotto drawing held on Saturday, April 19, 2014.

The winner bought her ticket from the 72nd Deli Market in Tacoma, but admitted to lottery officials the purchase was something of a rarity because she seldom buys more than a couple of lotto tickets a year.

She and her husband both plan to continue working, but she told lottery representatives they will use some of the winning to pay off their mortgage and plan to save for their retirement.

Washington Lotto drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. The estimated jackpot for the Wednesday, May 7, draw is $2.2 million.

Big Win for Kansas City Woman

In an announcement made on Tuesday, May 6, the Missouri Lottery said a woman from Kansas City has claimed the $2.5 million jackpot from the April 12, 2014, Missouri Lotto draw.

Sixty-four-year-old Patricia Roscher opted to take her winnings in a one-off lump-sum payment of $1.25 million.

Roscher, who works as a financial analyst for a credit card company, said she plans to take an early retirement and buy a new home to share with her long-time partner.

Lottery officials say Roscher is the 401st person to win a Missouri Lottery prize of $1 million or more.

Missouri Lotto draws are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The estimated jackpot for Wednesday, May 5, is $1.6 million.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Camelot Chief's Retirement will Split the Company

Camelot chief, Dianne Thompson, announced her retirement last week. After her departure from the company, which runs the UK National Lottery, Camelot will be split into two divisions.

Andy Duncan, who presently manages Camelot's UK business, will be in charge of the UK division "Camelot UK Lotteries", and Camelot's Chief Financial Officer and Strategy Director, Nigel Railton, will head "Camelot Global Services"— responsible for overseas expansion.

The two new divisions will come into force on October 31, 2014. Duncan and Railton will report directly to, Camelot group chairman, Lee Sienna.

Thompson has been with Camelot for 17 years. She has been chief executive for 14 of those years and, during that time, she has fought—and won—two competitions for the license to run the UK National Lottery.  Camelot's current license allows the company to organize the lottery until 2023.

More recently, Thompson's biggest battles have been against, National Lottery rival, the Health Lottery, launched in 2011.

Speaking on Tuesday, April 29, 2014, Thompson said: "I have always said that running Camelot has been my dream job, and I will look back over the last 14 years with great fondness and pride. I feel privileged to have worked with such fantastic colleagues who have always put National Lottery players—and the good causes we ultimately support—at the heart of everything we do."

Thompson had originally planned on leaving Camelot in 2012, but stayed on to assist with the group's overseas expansion project.

Single Dad has a Million Reasons to Celebrate

A single father from Armadale, Western Australia, has come forward and claimed the AUD$ 1 million Division 1 prize from the Wednesday, April 30, Australia Lotto draw.

Winning such a substantial amount of money has not been without its consequences though.

"I've only had about two hours sleep per night since I found out," the man said. "I wake up in the middle of the night and giggle because I still can't believe I've won."

His lotto windfall may have got him all a-giggle, but the winner is not short of ideas on how to spend his cash. He intends to pay of both his own and his brother's mortgages, organize a 'big family holiday' to America, and treat the children to a trip to Disneyland.

Missouri Man Scratches Out a Big Win

Springfield resident, Donald Skillens, 64, began screaming with delight when his long-time scratching habit paid off and he won $ 100,000 on a Missouri Lottery scratch-off ticket.

Skillens bought his "50 X The Cash" ticket from his local Kum & Go convenience store, but waited until he got home before he got busy scratching.

"I went home, turned on the TV, sat at the table, and said, 'I might as well get this over with,'" Skillens joked.

When his scratching revealed the "50X" symbol that meant his ticket was worth 50 times the listed prize amount ($ 2,000) he couldn't believe his luck.

"I did scream a little bit," he said.

Skillens now intends to invest some of his winnings in a new home.

Monday, May 5, 2014

New Report Reveals Startling Figures about Lotto Scams

Lottery scam artists are constantly looking for new victims. Their promises of big prizes or large financial gifts successfully hook in a startling number of people and are highly lucrative for the rogues involved.

The magnitude of the problem is highlighted in a recent report by the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The figures reveal American citizens were defrauded out of $39 million in 2013.

A large number of lottery scams originate in Jamaica. Justin Felice, head of Jamaica's Financial Investigation Division (FID), believes many people are insufficiently aware of the scale of the problem.

"We know of one victim who has sent in excess of $1 million," Felice said, but he could not put an exact figure on the total amount of money involved because many victims feel too ashamed to report thefts to the authorities.

The estimated amount is generally believed to be around $500 million.

Lottery scams are in operation all over the world and whenever the name of a big winner is announced a fresh scam is often quick to follow.

In March 2014, UK car mechanic, Neil Trotter, won a EuroMillions prize of £108 million. In a matter of days unscrupulous scammers were using his name to try and trick people into paying advance fees and sharing their personal details.

Bee Project Receives Lottery Funding

Organizers at the Winchester-based charity Learning through Landscapes were buzzing with excitement last week when the charity was awarded a £1.3 million grant, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to help further their project to make schools more bee-friendly.

The money will be used to help transform the grounds of 260 schools, and make them more welcoming to bees, by installing bee houses and bug hotels.

Bees play a vital role in crop pollination, but their numbers are on the decline and Learning through Landscapes hope their "Polli:Nation" project will help rectify the situation and secure the future of British bees.

The Heritage Lottery Fund is responsible for distributing a share of the funds raised by UK National Lottery Good Causes. HLF grants are awarded to projects designed to sustain and transform the British Heritage.

Lotto 649 Jackpot Will be Split Four Ways

Four tickets matched the six main numbers in the Canada Lotto 649 draw on Saturday night so; the jackpot will be split four ways and each ticket holder will receive CAD$1.75 million.

A ticket-holder in Truro, Nova Scotia, also had a profitable evening. They won $1 million in the Lotto 649 Guaranteed Prize Draw. Prize draw entries are given away with every CAD$3 Lotto 649 play, and one CAD$1 million is up for grabs each draw night.

Lotto 649 draws are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The jackpot available on Wednesday, May 7, is CAD$5 million and there will be one Guaranteed Prize Draw.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

French Lotto Jackpot Reaches €17 million

France's Lotto draw produced a rollover on Saturday. The French lottery has three draws each week and a succession of rollovers has pushed the jackpot up to an estimated €17 million. The next draw is on Monday, May 5, at 19:30 (CET).

The last time the jackpot was won was Wednesday, April 16, 2014, when someone matched the six main numbers and the bonus ball and was rewarded with a €6 million prize. The present jackpot is considerably larger, but it will take many more rollovers before it compares to the €24 million prize won on Monday, June 6, 2011.

France Lotto drawings take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. The odds of winning a prize in are 1 in 16. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 19,068,840, but an industrial worker from Montpellier in Southern France has beaten the odds twice. He won €2.8 million in 1996, and went even better, in 2011, when he won €3 million.

Lotto Max Rollover Provides Players with Even More Chances to Win

No tickets matched the seven numbers required to win the CAD$50 million Canada Lotto Max jackpot on Friday, nor were there any second tier winners, but 82 ticket-holders won CAD$6,276 for matching six main numbers. If any of them had managed to get the bonus number as well they would have been eligible to claim CAD$514,633.

There were also two Maxmillions drawings on Friday. Maxmillions are additional CAD$1 million prizes that are only drawn when the Canada Lotto Max Jackpot reaches CAD$50 million.  One of Friday's Maxmillions prizes was won on a ticket bought in Ontario, but nobody matched the seven numbers necessary to claim the second Maxmillions prize so it will rollover to the next draw.

Friday, May 9, should be an exciting time for Lotto Max players. The estimated jackpot is CAD$50 Million and there will also be seven CAD$1 million Maxmillions prizes up for grabs.  Every ticket holder will be entered into all eight draws so, for bang for the buck, Lotto Max is hard to beat at the moment.

The US Mega Millions draw also ended in a rollover on Friday. One ticket holder successfully matched the five main numbers drawn, but failed to get the Powerball and missed their chance to claim the (estimated) jackpot of $81 million. Their five winning numbers scooped them a cool $1million prize though and that's enough to put a smile on anyone's face.

The estimated jackpot for the Tuesday, May 6, Mega Millions draw is $92 million.

Student Beats the Odds and Wins Major Prize

A student from Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, beat odds of five million to one earlier this week when he spent $20 on a scratch-off ticket and made a quick $10 million.

Henok Lakew is the second person to win the Massachusetts Lottery's "Platinum Millions" top prize since the game was launched in 2013. He opted to take his prize as a one-off payment of $4.3 million.

Three more $10 million prizes remain, along with 24 $1 million prizes still remain to be won.

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Megabucks Jackpot hasn't been won all year. Drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 23:20 (EDT).  The estimated jackpot for Wednesday, May 7, 2014 is $5.1 million.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Bowling Club Lottery Syndicate's First Big Win

A Lottery syndicate from the Dinas Powis Bowling Club in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, has won £1.1 million playing the UK National Lottery.

The Syndicate has been faithfully placing their numbers each week since National Lottery drawing first began 20 years ago, but has previously had little success. They won just over £200 in March 2014, but apart from that it was just a case of winning the occasional £3 to £5 every now and again so they jokingly called themselves the Dinas Powis Bowling Club Lottery Losers.

Their luck may have turned, but their big win is unlikely to result in dramatic changes to any of their lives. There are 50 people in the syndicate so each member will receive just £22,000.

"You might be able to get a new small car out of it, but nothing like a Porsche," syndicate organizer Colin Burgess said, but added the money was still a welcome reward for everyone involved.

Burgess can claim a certain amount of credit for the recent win because it was his decision to delete the even numbers on each line.

"If I had selected the odd ones we wouldn’t be sitting here now as winners," he said.

When Burgess rang the lottery to confirm the win they asked him if he had any plans for his share of the money and he told them: "I’m sat here looking at a three piece suite that my wife wants and I think I might get her a bouquet of flowers too."

Hot Lotto Win for Columbia Falls Woman

A woman from Columbia Falls in Montana Claimed her US Hot Lotto prize earlier this week.

Debra McLouth won $9,000 in the April 26, drawing, just a week after she won $200 playing Montana Cash.

McLouth is busy with some property development at the moment and plans to use her lotto winnings to sink a well and put in a new road. When lottery officials asked her if she had any advice she wished to share with other players she said "It can happen to anybody. It just takes one ticket."

Hot Lotto draws take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The estimated jackpot for the Saturday, May 3, 2014, draw is $6.2 million

Friday's EuroMillions Jackpot Scooped by UK Player

Friday Night's £73 million EuroMillions jackpot has been won by someone in the UK.

A UK National Lottery spokeswoman said: "This Bank Holiday has turned out to be truly memorable for one UK winner, not only will they enjoy the extra day off but they'll now also be banking a multi-million pound check."

When the winner comes forward and claims their prize they will enter the National Lottery rich list at number eight.

The next EuroMillions draw is on Tuesday, May 13. The estimated jackpot is £12 million, but EuroMillions players hoping for a much larger jackpot to play for won't have to wait for the next string of rollovers because Next Fridays draw is a Superdraw and has a guaranteed jackpot of £80 million.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Lottery Winner Stole her Mother's Life Savings

A UK National Lottery winner who blew her winnings and then stole her 88-year-old mother's life savings and used them to fund an extravagant lifestyle will be living life in the slow lane for the foreseeable future because her unscrupulous greed has secured a prison sentence.

Former Avon lady, Abbi Kinsella, 54, won £175,000 on the lottery in 1999. The win should have provided her with financial freedom, but the money was gone in record time and Kinsella was soon getting free and easy with her mother's money instead.

Margaret Bowyer used to rent a house next door to her daughter's home in Tamworth, Staffordshire. She is now living in a care after her daughters actions rendered her homeless.

Bowyer suffers from dementia and her failing mental health made her an easy target. Soon after Kinsella took control of Bowyer's finances she began funneling cash from her mother's account into her own, transferring over £61,000 in three years and withdrawing a further £38,000 in cash. She used the money to feed her online bingo habit and to pay for luxury holidays in the South of France.

By April 2011, all Bowyer's savings were gone so Kinsella cancelled the direct debits for her mother's rent, council tax, and utility bills. Bowyer was evicted from her home in November 2012, and had debts in excess of £20,000.

When sentencing her, Judge Mark Eades told Kinsella she had betrayed her mother's trust in a callous and unfeeling fashion.

"You are a serial liar who has no conscience at all," Eades said. "You enjoyed living way beyond your means."

Kinsella admitted one count of fraud and the jury found her guilty of four charges of theft. Judge Eades sentenced her to four years in prison, but took her lack of assets into consideration and ordered her to pay £1. She had stolen a total of £100,966 from her mother.

New Zealand Lottery Winner Needed a Hug

Easter Sunday became an emotional time for a New Plymouth man when he checked his ticket and discovered he'd won NZD$ 333,333 playing the New Zealand Lotto.

He said: "I turned to my wife who was sitting opposite me and said 'you'd better come over here and give me a hug'—she was nearly in tears when she found out why."

The lottery has not revealed the man's name, but he and his wife are apparently keen golfers so they plan on using some of their lottery windfall to buy a new electric golf cart.

National Lottery Good Causes Receives Royle Support

Royle Family Actor Ricky Tomlinson has added his voice to a new animated film produced for The UK National Lottery.

Just Imagine Life without National Lottery Funding has a runtime of nearly 2 minutes and highlights the many ways National Lottery funding touches and improves the lives of people living in the UK.

Tomlinson became a keen supporter of National Lottery Good Causes when he visited a Lottery-funded cancer support center in Glasgow in 2013.

"National Lottery funding has helped causes close to my heart like literacy projects, cancer support charities and even my local park, Sefton Park," Tomlinson said.

"Even if you’re not a big prize winner when you play the National Lottery, you’re helping other people win big."

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Birthday Gift is a Winner

A man from Mount Gambier, South Australia, got a AUD$1.3 million birthday surprise when the Quick Pick Lotto ticket his mother gave him as a gift produced a first division win in the Australia Lotto drawing on Saturday, April 26, 2014.

The winner has chosen to remain anonymous, but he told lottery officials: "I'll admit, I cried yesterday when I checked my ticket, I can hardly believe it. My Mum was so happy when I told her."

The man's mother bought the ticket from Rosaville Takeaway and Lotteries. Store owner Malcolm Domaschenz was thrilled to hear the news.

"In the five years I've owned the shop, this is the seventh major prize we've sold across Lotto and Instant Scratch-Its," Domaschenz said.

Powerball Win Gives Retiree's Finances a Much-Needed Boost

A cash-strapped retiree who lives in a dilapidated mobile home visited the California Lottery District Office last Friday and was in a much better financial situation when she left the premises thanks to a $1,079,602 US Powerball win.

Tessie Pavia's ticket matched five of the numbers drawn in the April 23, 2014, Powerball drawing. If she'd got the Powerball number as well she would have been considerably richer, but she told lottery officials she was happy with things the way they were.

"I think I would have died if the bonus one was there," Pavia said.

Keeping up with the repairs on her home has proved an impossible task for the seventy-seven-year-old grandmother. The roof leaks in when it rains, the floor is sinking, and there is also some termite damage, but she has not been able to afford the repairs. She said her children have tried to help out where they can, but they have been unable to afford the costly repairs either.

Pavia's Powerball winnings will make a big difference to her life, but she does not attribute her changing circumstances to good luck.

"It's a blessing from the Lord," she said. "For the rest of my life, I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to be a burden to my family." 

She now intends to help out her family and make a donation to her church.

US Powerball drawing take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 (Eastern Time).  The estimated jackpot for the Saturday, May 3, 2014 Powerball drawing is $50 Million.

Lottery Ticket Purchase Ends in Tears

Fifty-seven-year-old Lita Gannon from Logan County, Illinois, stopped at the Lincoln Ayerco gas station to fill up her tank and decided to buy an Illinois Lottery scratch-off lottery ticket when she paid for her fuel. But her impromptu purchase ended in tears when she discovered she'd won $250,000.

"My husband has been ill and off work," Gannon explained. "This is such great timing. This lottery win will give us some peace of mind. I was thinking I sure could use some help so I bought this ticket. When I saw that I won $250,000, I started to cry right there in the middle of the store."