Arizona Lottery to Launch New Game on Tuesday

The Arizona Lottery is launching a new scratch-off ticket on Tuesday, September 2, and, with a top prize of $2.5 million, the "$185 Million Cash Explosion" boasts the largest prize the lottery has ever offered for an instant win game.

Tickets will cost $20 and the game will have six $2.5 million top prizes up for grabs. The six winners will be able to choose to take their cash in annuity payments over 30 years or walk away with a lump sum payment of $1.25 million, before taxes. The game will also offer three $100,000 second place prizes and 15 $50,000 third place prizes.

An Arizona Lottery spokesperson said: "Keeping Lottery players happy is essential, that's why we are always looking for games that offer new and different top prizes."

US Powerball Jackpot Reaches $100 Million

No tickets matched the five main numbers and the Powerball last night, so Wednesday's US Powerball drawing has an estimated jackpot of $100 million.

It's the fifth time this year the game has offered a nine figure pot. The last time a US Powerball player won a nine figure prize was Wednesday, July 9, when one ticket scooped $122 million.

The largest US Powerball jackpot this year was the $425.3 million prize won on Wednesday, February 19, by a player from Milpitas, California.

The present Powerball jackpot is four times larger than this week's US Mega Millions jackpot. The next drawing is on Tuesday, but the $25 million top prize is small by Mega Millions standards. Nine figure prizes are quite common and one ticket holder scooped a $180 million win less than two weeks ago.

EuroMillions Win is a Dream Come True for Limerick Man

A man from County Limerick visited the National Lottery Ireland's headquarters in Dublin on Thursday, picked up a check for €105,541 and said the win was a dream come true.

Limerick's latest lottery winner was one of three players who matched five of the numbers drawn in the EuroMillions drawing on Tuesday, August 26, 2014, and the win had a strange significance for the winner when he remembered a dream he'd had the night before.

"I dreamt the shop owner came down to my door with my ticket in his hand saying I'd won!" the winner explained.

The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, was accompanied by his adult children when he went to pick up his prize and one his daughters told lottery officials checking the ticket had been an especially memorable experience.

"It was like a scene from Willy Wonka in the house yesterday," she said. "Dad got out his ticket and we started calling out the numbers. Then the joy it was to find out that he had the Golden Ticket!"

But not all his children were present to share the golden moment.

"We all got phone calls with the news," a second daughter recalled. "He casually said, 'I’ve won a bit of money on the EuroMillions'. How much, I said. 'About €105,000!' No way Dad, I said!"

When asked about his plans for the money, the winner said he intends to share it with his family.

Victoria Man Finally Claims his CAD$ 13 million Prize

When retiree Duarte Almeida heard a CAD$ 13 million prize had not been claimed in Victoria, British Columbia, he never dreamed he may be the missing winner. He finally checked his ticket earlier this week and couldn't believe his luck when he discovered he'd won CAD$ 13,688,924 in the August 2, 2014, Canada Lotto 649 draw.

"I knew someone in Victoria had won but I never thought it would be me," Almeida said.

Almeida and his wife are still discussing how to best use the money, but say a new truck and a vacation are near the top of the list.

Sisters Scoop Identical Prizes

Two sisters from Boston in Lincolnshire, England, both won identical UK National Lottery earlier this month.

Donna Taylor and her sister Tina Thayne have stuck to the same numbers for years,  now those numbers have resulted in a couple of £56,000 checks.

Donna and Tina picked their numbers from a bingo machine 20 years ago and began playing together in a syndicate. Two years ago they decided to play separately, but neither one of them wanted to pick an alternative set of numbers.

"We're a bit superstitious and didn’t want to change our numbers so kept them the same," Tina explained.

Their lucky numbers finally came up trumps when they match five numbers and the bonus number on Saturday, August 16, 2914.

Donna was the first to discover the good news, but she never spoke to her sister until the following morning.
"It took me ages to convince her that we’d won," Donna said "and even then, she had to ask her husband Tony to check the numbers online as she still didn’t believe me."
Winning such a large prize proved to be a harrowing experience for Tina though.

"I started to worry about losing my ticket so kept it inside my pillowcase on the first night, then in a cushion cover, then in a cupboard and finally in the microwave," Tina admitted.

When asked about their plans for the money, Tina said she intends to do up her house. Donna has her heart set on a holiday in Crete.

Ticket Thief's Plans Fail to Come up to Scratch

A lotto loving thief from Wuhan in Hubei Province, China, was busted by local law enforcement officers earlier this week before he even had chance to scratch his stolen tickets.

The unlucky thief, who has been identified only as Tan, stole around 1,600 scratch-off tickets from a lottery stall on Monday. Unfortunately for Tan the entire incident was captured by security cameras so it was not long before the police were knocking at his door.

In an effort to explain his actions, logistic worker, Tan said: "I just want to have money to burn. I dream of being a jackpot winner."

A police spokesperson said: "All stolen lottery tickets are blacklisted. Once the winner comes to claim a prize, authorities will be alerted automatically."

Another EuroMillions Jackpot Rollover on Friday Night

There was a third EuroMillions rollover earlier tonight, so there are no new EuroMillionaires.

The biggest winners tonight were the five ticket-holders who won second tier prizes of €285,439 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star. If any of those players had matched a second lucky star they would have scooped the $30.8 million (£24 million) jackpot, but that was not to be so the big money prize has been saved for another day.

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Friday, August 29, 2014, were 2, 9, 26, 32, and 38. The two Lucky Stars were 3 and 6.

Two players didn’t get any Lucky Stars, but were awarded third tier prizes of €237,866 for matching five main numbers.

Eighty-four players won €2,831 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 2,296,032 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Tuesday, September 2, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €37 million (£29 million).

EuroMillions Winner Continues to 'Do the Right Thing'

Irish EuroMillions winner Margaret Loughrey has announced her intention to fund the building of a giant Olympic swimming pool in her hometown of Strabane, Ireland.

When Margaret Loughrey won the €32 million Euromillions jackpot, in December 2013, she said she intended to spread the money around and 'do the right thing'. She has been making good on her promise ever since, has already given away half her fortune, and now intends to invest a further €8 million in a 50-metre pool.

Speaking to the The Star she said: "I'll do what it takes. We can find the next Olympic champion."

Lottery Blunder Results in £100,000 Fine for Camelot UK

The UK National Lottery organizer Camelot UK has been fined £100,000 by the UK gambling commission after it was ruled Camelot had breached the terms of its license to operate the lottery.

The fine has been levied because of a miscalculation that resulted in the publication of an incorrect lottery jackpot amount in October 2013.

The mistake caused three ticket-holders to he informed they had won a larger amount of money than the true allocation.

The actual size of the jackpot was £4.8 million, but the published prize £6.2 million—a considerable difference—and had to be revised down when Camelot discovered the error.

The three jackpot winners were informed of the mistake prior to their prizes being awarded, and the Gambling Commission is confident all three winners were given the corrects amount of money, but the Commission's  subsequent investigation revealed Camelot failed to ensure all its bespoke processes were 'fit for purpose'. Such an error conflicts with its license agreement.

The Commission has also ordered Camelot to submit to an independent review of its control environment performance.

Philip Graf, chairman of the Gambling Commission, said: "While this is an isolated incident, this is a serious matter, as confidence in the accurate calculation of prize monies is a critical part of maintaining public trust in the integrity of the National Lottery.

"Camelot has put measures in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We will continue to monitor Camelot to ensure it meets the requirements of the license and that the interests of players are protected."

Early Lotto Success for Coffee Shop Owner

If you live Australia and want to win the lottery the Hola Coffee Shop in the Paralowie Village Shopping Centre could be the place to go.

Coffee shop owner David Koo has only been in business for six weeks and has already sold two winning tickets.

Koo got off to a good start last month when one of his customers purchased a ticket that won AUD$ 10,000, but Koo topped that many times over this week when he sold the ticket that scooped the entire AUD$15 million Oz Lotto Division 1 prize on Tuesday, August 26, 2014.

Koo is now hoping his promising start is just a taste of things to come.

"If you want to win lotto come in here," he said.

€500,000 Surprise for County Kildare Woman

A woman from County Kildare had reason to celebrate yesterday when she pulled a wad of old EuroMillions tickets from her purse and ran them through a self-checker. Although none of them had won a EuroMillions prize one of them had bagged the €500,000 top prize in the EuroMillions Plus drawing on Tuesday, August 19, 2014.

When the machine flashed a message stating she needed to contact the National Lottery Ireland, the woman rushed home instead and rechecked her numbers online.

"At first I thought it was €500," the winner told lottery officials. "I had to get my daughter to help me see that it was €500,000—I just couldn’t believe it!"

Ireland's EuroMillions Plus game costs €1 and provides players with additional chances to win a prize.  To be entered into the draw players only need to tick a box on their EuroMillions ticket.

The Future Looks Bright for the Wyoming Lottery

The Wyoming Lottery has only been selling tickets since Sunday, but judging by ticket sales so far the future looks bright for WyoLotto.

According to officials, the lottery sold nearly $200,000 worth of US Powerball and US Mega Millions tickets on their first day.

WyoLotto CEO Jon Clontz said: "We're pretty happy about it . . . And the fact that it went without a hitch. We had no systems errors, no major glitches. So it was really great."

The lottery sold its first ticket at 11:55, on August 24, to Mary Ogg, a 67-year-old grandmother from Sheridan who entered a promotional contest and won the right to buy the first ticket. Then at noon tickets became available from WyoLotto retailers all over the state.

Between noon and midnight the lottery recorded Mega Millions ticket sales of over $68,000, but Powerball proved to be the most popular choice with Wyoming players and ticket sales topped $130,000.

There are currently nearly 400 WyoLotto retailers. Ogg purchased the first WyoLotto ticket at the Holiday Station in Sheridan—her chosen retailer. The Holiday Station accounted for $1,079 of Sunday's sales, but it was not the top-selling venue.

KIKS Chevron Station in Evanston and ALF's Pub and Package Liquors in Cheyenne were Wyoming's most successful retailers on Sunday. Both recorded ticket sales of $2,050.

The official first day sales figures are $198,612. Ticket sales continued to be good on Monday.

"I'm hoping to do $45,000 a day, or $315,000 a week," Clontz said.

Wednesday Night Rollover for UK Lotto Players

No tickets matched the six main numbers necessary to win the £2.2 million jackpot in the UK National Lottery Wednesday night Lotto drawing, so a rollover has increased the size of the pot.

The winning UK Lotto numbers drawn on Wednesday, August 27, 2014, were 5, 17, 29, 36, 37, and 49. The bonus number was 2.

Three players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, to win second tier prize of £60,142, and 138 ticket-holders won £1,110 for matching five numbers. A further £3,901,575 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The next drawing is on Saturday, August 30, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £5.5 million.

Well-Timed Win for Irish Lotto Syndicate

A lottery syndicate from County Mayo has claimed Saturday's €4 million Irish Lotto jackpot. The syndicate members, who all work together, have chosen to remain anonymous, but told National Lottery Ireland officials the win could not have come at a better time.

The Irish Lotto numbers drawn on Saturday, August 23, 2014, were 3, 9, 18, 28, 32, and 43. The bonus number was 44.

The syndicate bought their lucky ticket in An Post [Ireland's postal services provider], on Bury Street in Ballina, on Thursday, August 21, 2014. It was the only ticket to successfully match all of the numbers drawn on Saturday night. The syndicate picked up their €3,919,939 check on Monday.

A syndicate member said: "Everyone is delighted."

Ballina hasn't produced any big winners in over a year; the last time was April 13, 2013.

A National Lottery Ireland spokesperson said: "On that occasion the prize was €1,292,228, won by a family syndicate who purchased their ticket in Paperchase, Dunnes Stores Shopping Centre, Ballina."

It’s the first time a major win has been scooped on a ticket purchased from the local An Post though, and local residents are said to happy for the lucky winners, but the syndicate members have done a good job of keeping their secret, nobody appears to have any idea who the winners might be.

According to Ballina councilor Gerry Ginty there are few if any rumors in the town, but Ginty said everyone was delighted for the lucky winners and their success was a big boost for the town.

Mega Millions Win Causes Problems for South Carolina Man

A man from Summerville, Cane Bay, visited the South Carolina Education Lottery on Monday, claimed a $1 million US Mega Millions prize, and admitted the win had already caused him some problems at home.

The anonymous winner matched the five main numbers drawn on Tuesday, August 19, 2014, but didn't claim the prize straight away because he wanted to take some time and think about the best use for his lottery windfall.

Taking a level-headed approach to the win, he decided to pay some bills and then invest the rest of the money.

"I was raised to save money and buy the things you need," the man said.

Unfortunately for the wise winner, the decision angered his wife, who feels they should have some fun with the money instead.

"I wasn’t planning on buying anything," he said.

Tuesday Night Rollover for EuroMillions Players

No tickets matched the five numbers and two Lucky Stars required to win Tuesday's €21.3 million (£17 million) EuroMillions jackpot, but six tickets secured second tier prizes of €158,311 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star.

Three players got no Lucky Stars, but still bagged third tier prizes of €105,541 for matching five main numbers.

Thirty players won €5,277 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 1,384,110 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Tuesday, August 26, 2014, were 10, 22, 36, 45, and 48. The two Lucky Stars were 4 and 11.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Friday, August 29, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €30 million (£24 million).

Ten years of the Atlantic Lottery

The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (Canada) is celebrating its tenth year of providing responsible internet gambling and has decided to mark the occasion by giving something back to its players.

From August 22 to September 30, 2014, every CAD$ 2 purchase made on the lottery's official website will secure a free entry into their 2nd Chance draw. The top prize is CAD$ 250,000, so it's a bonus many players will appreciate.

Atlantic Lottery's Senior Manager James Reilly said: We're excited about giving our alc.ca players a second chance to win and including our retailers in the anniversary. We believe both groups will respond to, and enjoy, the celebration."

Kansas Man Wins Some Cash Using Fortune Cookie Numbers

Saturday's $389,672 Super Kansas Cash Jackpot has been claimed by a man from Olathe in Johnson County. The lucky winner, who has opted to remain anonymous, claimed his prize on Monday, August 25, 2014, and told lottery officials he owed it all to a fortune cookie.

"I had kept a few fortune cookie fortunes that had lucky numbers on them, so I thought I would see just how lucky the numbers really were and have been playing them since," the man explained. "I was about to give up on them, but I’m very glad I didn't."

The fortunate player discovered he was holding a winning ticket on Sunday night when he went online and checked his numbers against those on the Kansas Lottery website.

"When I realized I had matched all the numbers on one of my Super Kansas Cash plays, I couldn’t believe it," he said. "I immediately signed the back of the ticket and had my wife verify I was looking at the numbers correctly—we were both shocked."

The winner and his wife have not had time to give much thought as to how they will spend the money and they plan on keeping their big win strictly under wraps.

"We’re very private people," the winner said. "We’ll probably only tell our daughter about our win and no one else."

Winning a fortune on a fortune cookie is nothing new. In March 2014 a US Powerball player from New York won $2 million using numbers she took from a fortune cookie.  A US Mega Millions player from Jose, California, also got lucky in March when her cookie numbers secured her a $400,000 prize.

CAD$ 1 Million Maxmillions Prize Remains Unclaimed

Someone in Saskatchewan, Canada, purchased a winning Canada Lotto Max ticket last year and then failed to claim their CAD$ 1 million prize. According to the Saskatchewan Lotteries the ticket—which won a Maxmillions prize in the December 20, 2013, draw—was purchased somewhere in Saskatchewan, but not in Regina or Saskatoon.

The ticket holder has until December 20, 2014, to claim their prize. If they fail to do so the money will be returned to the prize pool and they will lose it forever.

Western Canada Lottery Corporation spokesperson Andrea Matantz said: "If you have any older tickets you haven’t checked yet, this is a great time to do it. We want to see the winner or winners claim a prize whenever that's possible."

Lottery Tickets Go on Sale in Wyoming

The Holiday Station Store on Brundage Lane in Sheridan was filled with excitement on Sunday as crowds gathered around to watch local grandmother, Mary Ogg, purchase the first lottery tickets ever to be sold in the state of Wyoming.

Ogg bought US Powerball and US Mega million tickets at 11:55, just minutes before WyoLotto tickets became available from lottery retailers all over the state.

Although she will have to wait until the respective draw dates to discover if she has hit the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpots, Ogg became a Wyoming Lottery winner last week when she won the lottery's Launch Day Giveaway competition and secured the right to buy the first tickets in the state from a retailer of her choice. She also won a nice new Jeep Wrangler so she had every excuse to flash a winning smile when she purchased her tickets.

Ogg purchased the first ticket using a $2 bill given to her by Senator Bruce Burns of Big Horn and later wrote her signature across the bill, which will be kept as a memento by Wyoming Lottery officials.

Ticket sales opened elsewhere in the state at noon and Green River resident, Deborah Harper, marked the occasion by splashing out $100 on Powerball and Mega Millions tickets.

"This is the first time I've ever purchased lottery tickets in my life," she said. "I was very excited to come out here for the opening that I couldn't sleep last night."

Fellow player, Sandi Lininger, was also excited to finally get her hands on some tickets.

"They've been saying that the lottery would get here over a year and a half ago," she said. "It's nice to finally have it available."

Huge Mega Millions Jackpot Scooped in California

One lucky US Mega Millions ticket-holder matched all five of the numbers drawn on Friday, along with the Mega Ball, and secured a $180 million payday. The winner has yet to come forward so they are either unaware they have won or may be taking some time to adjust to the news.

The winning US Mega Millions numbers drawn on Friday, August 22, 2014, were 5, 31, 34, 41, and 74. The Mega Ball was 3.

The winning ticket was purchased from the 7-Eleven store on County Line Road in Calimesa, California. The store will receive a $900,000 payout, before taxes, for selling a winning ticket.

Monira Begum, who co-owns the store with her husband Mohammed, said: "I'm very happy and blessed.  I had a really strong feeling one of my customers was going to win someday."

Builder's Winning Feeling Pays Off

A builder from Bournemouth had a feeling a big win was waiting for him earlier this week and how right he was—two scratchcards later he became a millionaire.

John Abreu, 37, discovered his feeling was up to scratch on Monday, August 18, 2014, when he purchased a UK National Lottery scratchcard, but a little persistence was required.

"I bought a scratchcard and although I didn't win on that one I had a feeling I might get lucky, so thought it was worth another shot and bought another one," Abreu said.

What happened next is something the father of six will never forget for the rest of his life.

"I scratched it there in the store and was screaming when I realized I had won. I have only won the odd £10 or £30 before; so was in absolute shock to see I had won £1million," Abreu continued.

Eager to share the good news Abreu rang his wife Silvana straight away, but she thought he was pulling her leg.

"My friend was outside and had to call her to convince her that it was true," Abreu said.

He and his wife have been living in rented property, but now he has some extra funds at his disposal the delighted builder intends to invest some of the money in a home of their own.

"It still hasn’t really sunk in," Abreu said. "This win has changed our lives and given us security for the future. We have rented for a while, so having our own home will be really good for our family."

Man Drops Dead After Winning the Lottery

A 62-year-old Malaysian man who won the lottery was so surprised by the win he keeled over and died.

According to the China Press the man, known only as Yong, worked on a noodle stall in Bukit Cina, Malacca. On Thursday, August 21, 2014, Yong took a break at 06:00, checked the latest lottery draw results in the paper, and discovered he'd won the second prize.

Yong was so delighted he showed his ticket to a noodle stall customer and exclaimed, "Wow!" He then collapsed.

Yong's employer, Mr. Wong, called an ambulance at once, and attempted to revive him, but when the paramedics arrived on the scene they pronounced him dead.

One Ticket Matches all of Saturday's UK Lotto Numbers

One ticket matched the six numbers drawn in last night's UK National Lottery Lotto drawing, so one lucky player or syndicate has scooped the entire £7.7 million jackpot.

The UK lotto numbers drawn on Saturday, August 23, 2014, were 1, 7, 11, 38, 41, and 42. The bonus number was 45.

Two players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £170,916, and 334 players won £868 for matching five numbers. A further £9,300,509 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The next drawing is on Wednesday, August 27, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £2.1 million.

Siblings Share Mega Millions

Winning is a family affair for three siblings from Johnston, Des Moines.

Stephen Bevis, 61; Craig Bevis, 59; and their sister Marsha, 55, visited the Iowa Lottery headquarters in Des Moines on Monday and claimed a $1 million US Mega Millions prize.

The lotto-loving trio has been playing the lottery together for two years and finally got lucky when one of their tickets matched the five Mega Millions numbers drawn on Friday, August 1, 2014. If they'd successfully matched the Mega Ball as well they would have scooped the $87 million jackpot.

When asked about their plans for the money they said they intend to use it to help finance their retirements.

After taxes they each netted more than $233,000.

The Future Looks Bright for Sunshine Coast Woman

A woman from the Sunshine Coast has claimed half of Wednesday's AUD$ 70 million Australia Powerball jackpot.

The lucky winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, told lottery staff she was so overwhelmed by the win she'd had no opportunity to think about what to do with her massive AUD$ 35.9 million prize.

"I'm feeling a little sick at the moment!  I'm just waiting to wake up from this dream!" the winner said. "I honestly never thought I’d win in last night’s $70 million Powerball draw.  I think the most I’ve ever won in lotto is about AUD$ 20! So this is unbelievable!"

The winner may not have had time to decide what her plans are for the money, but she has a definite plan for herself.

"I can actually retire! I’ve wanted to retire for some time now," she said.

The other half of the Wednesday night jackpot was claimed by a lottery syndicate from Western Sydney.

The 15-person syndicate, who all work together, has also opted to remain anonymous.

Speaking to NSW Lotteries, a syndicate spokesperson said: "We've all been talking about it this morning, and we're in shock now, but we'll be celebrating together later. We have to get back to work."

Each syndicate member takes a AUD$ 2.4 million share of the prize, so 'getting back to work' is not something any of them need to worry about unduly, but the group is taking a levelheaded approach to the win.

"There are mortgages to pay off, retirement plans down the track, and a few people have said they'll be donating some of their prize money to charity," the spokesperson said.

Irish Lotto Winner's Shock Discovery

A woman from Dublin, Ireland, visited the National Lottery Ireland's head office on Friday to collect her half of the Irish Lotto Plus 2 Jackpot from the drawing held on Saturday, August 16, 2014. But on speaking to lottery staff, she was shocked to discover she'd miscalculated her prize.

The delighted Dubliner only expected to pick up a check for €125,000 because a second ticket, also sold in Dublin, had matched the winning numbers as well. When National Lottery staff explained her prize was double that amount the lucky winner, who has opted to remain anonymous, was over the moon.

"I thought I’d won €125,000—as there were two winners—which is huge, but €250,000 is a dream!" she said.

When asked about her plans for the money she said: "I'll pay off the mortgage and bills and treat myself to a new car."

The second €250,000 prize has yet to be claimed.

EuroMillions Rollover on Friday Night

There was a EuroMillions rollover earlier tonight, so the draw failed to produce any new EuroMillionaires, but five lucky players won second tier prizes of €268,532.80 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star. If any of those players had matched a second Lucky Star they would have scooped the €15 million (£12 million) jackpot, but Lady Luck had other ideas so the big-money prize has been saved for another day.

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Friday, August 22, 2014, were 4, 17, 29, 35, and 49. The two Lucky Stars were 1 and 2.

Twelve players didn’t get any Lucky Stars, but were awarded third tier prizes of €37,296 for matching five main numbers.

Thirty players won €7,459 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 2,086,231 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Tuesday, August 26, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €21 million (£17 million).

Lotto Winner Discovers there are Some Doors Money Cannot Open

When Edinburgh resident Willie Sibbald, 48, won the UK National Lottery Lotto jackpot he was over the moon. Keen to celebrate his £7 million win, Sibbald visited The Grapes public house only to find there are some doors that money cannot open. The former painter was already barred for previous drunken behavior so bar staff turned him away.

Pub manager Gordon Turnball was not working at the time, but his staff informed him Sibbald had 'popped his head in to say hello to his mates'.

"He'd had a fair bit to drink already and he knew not to get served," Turnball said. "He misbehaved in the past, but he's never been violent or anything like that. The Grapes isn't a regular haunt of his. He comes in from time to time."

When Sibbald picked up his check for £7,084,472 on August 12, 2014, he told lottery officials he planned to split the cash with his friend Rab Layden, 58. The two had been buying tickets together for several years and had a prior agreement that if either one of them won a big prize it would be shared.

Sibbald also stated his intention to buy a Rolls Royce car. That should be an easy purchase for him now. Getting served at The Grapes could remain an impossible dream, but Turnball may yet relent on his decision to bar the boisterous Scotsman.

"I'd happily let him in and serve him if he behaved properly just like anyone else," Turnaball said.

Lotto Announcer Left Speechless

RTÉ presenter Brian Ormond was left speechless at the start of the live Irish Lotto drawing on Wednesday night.

The broadcast began in the normal fashion, but Ormond got as far as welcoming people to the Wednesday night edition and then stopped in mid-sentence. As the camera zoomed in on his face Ormond looked not unlike a perplexed waxwork dummy and moments later the broadcast was pulled from the air.

Explaining the situation via Twitter, Ormond tweeted, "No I didn't see a ghost on lotto tonight! When your told to stop ya gotta stop! Can't beat live tv!"

Meanwhile the National Lottery Ireland offered its official explanation via Facebook: "The Lotto draws usually begin with the Lotto Plus 2 draw. Last night the main Lotto draw drum was started inadvertently. The draw manager then asked RTÉ to halt the broadcast."

California Lottery Plans to Pump Up its Profits

The California Lottery is planning to allow customers to purchase lottery tickets at the pumps while they are busy topping up their tanks with gas.

The Lottery announced the news on Tuesday and said the "Play at the Pump" facility should be available by September.

Purchasing tickets will be easy. Players will only need to swipe their driver's license, along with their debit or credit card, and their numbers will be printed on their fuel receipt. Players can also choose to have their numbers sent to them by text message.

California Lottery spokesperson Russ Lopez said: "I think this is going to be, hopefully, revolutionary for us. Seventy-three percent of customers who pump gas don't walk into the retail store, so this is one way of getting their business while they’re pumping gas."

Scottish Trust Request Lottery Boycott

The Guardians of Scotland Trust is urging Lotto players to boycott the UK National Lottery for a week and donate £4 to their project instead.

The Trust, which consists of historians and politicians from a number of parties, decided to make the unusual request when it discovered its bid for lottery funding had been turned down.

Trust members hoped to create a public artwork to mark William Wallace's victory over the English forces at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awards grants to support projects that sustain and transform the British heritage. The Battle of Sterling Bridge (depicted by Mel Gibson in the film Braveheart) has great historical importance, so the project should have been a good match for the HLF's mission statement, but the HLF (Scotland) said it is  'concerned about the level of confirmed partnership funding' for the Stirling project.

At the present time there is nothing at the site to mark Wallace's victory and the Guardians of Scotland Trust now fears it will be unable to mark the site with a permanent art fixture if the funding shortfall of £72,000 is not found by August 23, 2014.

Creative Scotland has pledged to supply £137,000 to the bid, but only its funding is matched.

Guardians of Scotland Trust spokesman John Robertson said: ""At the moment, there is nothing at the north side of Stirling Bridge to mark this important historical event. Tourists come looking for information to this site on the outskirts of Stirling and are met with a blank canvas."

Leading historian Sir Tom Devine said: "The Battle of Stirling Bridge is second in importance only to Bannockburn in the Wars of Independence. It is imperative that the location should therefore be marked in a suitable fashion."

Peterborough Man Finally Bags the Jackpot

A 35 year Lotto habit finally paid off and resulted in a big payout for John Pirie from Peterborough, Ontario, when his numbers finally scooped the Canada Lotto 649 jackpot on Saturday, August 16, 2014.

Pirie, who has six children and seven grandchildren, claimed his CAD$ 10.4 million prize on Monday.

"Every Sunday night I stop at the gas station to check my tickets," Pirie explained to lottery officials. "I had five tickets. I was down to my last one and I scanned it in the self-checker."

The last ticket turned out to be worth CAD$ 10,395,605.

When asked about his plans for the money, Pirie said he hasn't had time to decide.

"I’m going to sit back and let it all sink in and take it from there," he said. "It’s come at a good time because I want to retire and now this is going to make it possible."

UK Lotto Rollover on Wednesday Night

No tickets matched the six numbers necessary to win the £5.5 million jackpot in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on earlier tonight so there was a rollover.

The winning Lotto numbers drawn on Wednesday, August 20, 2014, were 6, 12, 15, 24, 35, and 47. The bonus number was 22.

Six players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, to win second tier prize of £29,880, and 176 ticket-holders won £864 for matching five numbers. A further £4,834,395 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Saturday, August 23, 2014 Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £8.1 million.

Nelson Couple Claim Saturday's New Zealand Powerball Jackpot

Saturday's New Zealand Powerball jackpot has been claimed by a couple who live in the Nelson area.

Lotto New Zealand's corporate communications adviser Kirsten Robinson confirmed the NZD$ 4.5 million prize has been claimed, but was unable to provide any further details about the lucky winners.

Kaye Wood, who manages the Countdown supermarket in Blenheim that sold the winning ticket, had a little more information to share and said the couple returned to the store on Sunday, August 17, to check their ticket.

"When they came in they thought they had only won NZD$ 500,000 so when you add NZD$ 4 million to that you can imagine they were pretty shocked when we validated it," Wood said. "It's really quite exciting."

News that the store had sold the winning ticket resulted in Sunday being an unusually hectic day for Wood and the other Countdown staff members as customers flocked to the store hoping to discover they'd bagged the big win.

"While they are validating their tickets they are talking about who has won . . . it's been very busy," Wood said. "It's got the whole town buzzing."

The big prize may have been claimed, but there's still plenty of excitement in Blenheim because the town's Pak 'n Save super market also sold a winning ticket and the winner of winner of Saturday's NZD$ 500,000 First Division Lotto prize has yet to come forward.

Andrea Boock, who co-owns the Pak 'n Save said there continues to be a lot of speculation about who winner might be.

"It's great to see a small town have two first division wins," she said.

Scotsman Not Fooled by Lottery Scam

The UK National Lottery has issued an alert after a man from Angus, Scotland, was targeted by scammers.

The seventy-two-year-old Monifieth resident received a letter last week that claimed to have been sent by the 'Euro Millions FIFA World Cup Super Lottery'. It stated he had won £725,000 in the Euro Millions Lottery.

The letter also said a processing fee would be required before the funds could be released and tried to trick him into passing on his bank details.

The savvy Scotsman had not purchased a ticket though, so he smelled a rat straight away and raised the alarm.

Camelot Representative Charlotte Dickson said: "I can confirm that we did not send out the letter. We don’t run anything by that name—full stop! Our advice if people receive letters they suspect are fraudulent is to contact their local trading standards authority or police."

One Ticket Scoops the Euromillions Jackpot

One ticket matched the five main numbers and two Lucky Stars required to win the Euromillions Jackpot earlier tonight, so one lucky player or syndicate has scooped the entire €54,304,297 (£43,584,628) prize.

The Euromillions numbers drawn on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 were 4, 7, 11, 34, and 47. The Lucky Stars were 7 and 8.

Five players won second tier prizes of €220,508 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star.

Eleven players lucked out on Lucky Stars, but won third tier prizes of €33,410 for matching five main numbers.

Fifty-three players won €3,467 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 1,890,189 Euromillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next Euromillions drawing is on Friday, August 22, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €15 million (£11 million).

The First WyoLotto Ticket will be Sold in Sheridan

The Wyoming Lottery has announced the winner or its Launch Day Giveaway competition. Over 27,000 entrants took part in the competition to choose who gets to buy the first WyoLotto ticket, and a drawing was held at the weekend to verify the entries and choose the winner, but the winner's name was not revealed until Monday.

Mary Ogg will purchase the first ticket at noon, on Sunday, August 24, at the Holiday Station on Brundage Road in Sheridan—her chosen retailer.

The sixty-seven-year-old grandmother rarely enters competitions and was not expecting to win. She entered the competition at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday just before she and her husband departed for Dayton. They returned at 2 p.m.

"I jokingly asked my husband if the light was blinking on the answering machine," Mary recalled. "He said yes it is. I said oh no. I pushed the button and heard a call at 1:15 p.m. and again at 1:20 p.m. and thought they really need me to call back. I hope that I am not too late."

She wasn't too late.

Mary chose to buy her ticket from the Holiday Station because she and her husband purchase most of their fuel there and she thought it 'made sense' to pick a store they regularly visit.

As well as winning the right to purchase the first WyoLotto ticket, Mary also won a year's supply of US Mega Millions tickets and a 2014 Jeep Wrangler.

Lotto Winner was More Successful than she Thought

A woman from Ontario, Canada, was recently surprised to discover she'd won a large prize. She got an even bigger surprise when she found out the true extent of her lottery success.

Muriel Graham, 68, won the Guaranteed $1 Million Prize in Canada Lotto 649 drawing held on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. She picked up her winner's check last week and admitted it had a few more zeroes on it than she originally expected.

"I was at the Mac's store and I thought I won $1,000," Muriel explained, "but the clerk said 'No. It's a lot more!'"

When asked about her plans for the money, Muriel said she intends to share it with her family.

"To have this much money is unbelievable," she said. "You work hard your whole life and then all of a sudden you get this big bonus."

Couple can Celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary in Style Thanks to Hoosier Lottery Win

A retiree from Lake County, Indiana, scooped a $614,844 win on Tuesday, August 12, 2014, in the Hoosier Lottery Cash 5 drawing.

St. John resident, Francis Ignowski and his wife Janice visited the Hoosier Lottery headquarters in Indianapolis last Thursday and picked up their winner's check.

"This feels great!" Ignowski said. He and Janice celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in a few weeks, and had been considering taking special trip, but had been worried the trip may stretch their finances a little too far.

"Now we can go anywhere. We can just pack up and go," Ignowski said.

Con Men Dupe Melbourne Man out of AUD$ 10,000

Two con men targeted a Melbourne resident and used a fake lottery ticket to trick him into handing over more than AUD$ 10,000.

According to Melbourne police the incident occurred on Pascoe Vale Road in Glenroy, at about 14:30 on July 22, 2014.

The first man said he had a winning lottery ticket, but could not claim the prize because he was an illegal immigrant.

The second man offered to buy a share of the ticket and then walked away. He returned moments later bearing a huge wad of cash and gave it to the first man.

The two men then convinced their victim to visit his bank, withdraw over AUD$ 10,000 in cash and hand it over to them, along with more cash and jewelry from his home, for a share of the bogus prize. The thieves then made their escape while the man was inside a newsagent's shop.

Ohio Lottery Player Splashes out on an Expensive Ticket and Wins a Huge Prize

A lottery player from Cheviot, Ohio, turned a small win into a huge one when she used her winnings to purchase an Ohio Lottery "40th Anniversary Millions" scratch-off ticket.

Business owner Carol Boyenschutz is usually too frugal to purchase expensive tickets, so when she won $40 and asked the clerk at the White Oak Deli & Convenience Store for one of the $30 tickets he was surprised because it was the most expensive ticket on the rack.

"You don't buy that ticket," the clerk said.

"Today, I buy that ticket," Boyenschutz replied.

Anxious to see if her gamble had paid off she scratched away the ticket's top layer and looked for a match. She found one—the number 16—and scooped a $10 million win.

Boyenschutz got onto the phone to her husband straight away and tried to share the good news, but he thought she was pulling his leg.

"Don't fool around with me like that," he said.

"No, I'm serious," Boyenschutz insisted. "Here, I'll let you talk to the man from the lottery."

After taxes, Boyenschutz will receive just under £300,000 a year for the next 25 years.

"I have always felt blessed, but this is a gift that will take us all the way to the end of our lives and beyond," she said.

There are four top prizes of $10 million still left to be won in the Ohio Lottery's 40th Anniversary Millions game. Twenty-nine $1 million prizes also remain and there are 10 levels of smaller prizes.

The Overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 2.66.

Convenience Store Owner Takes Drastic Action to Deter Ticket Thieves

The owner of a convenience store in Nova Scotia, Canada, has decided to take drastic action after lottery tickets were stolen from his store.

Vijay Agnihotri, who owns the Kwik-Way convenience store on Windmill Road in Dartmouth, says the theft has left him out of pocket by CAD$ 700 so he is going to carry his supply of scratch-off tickets around with him in future.

The theft happened on Thursday, August 14, 2014. Vijay opened up his store as normal and busied himself with his usual morning tasks. He'd only been in the store a short while when he walked past his counter and realized his tray of lottery tickets had been stolen while his back was turned.

When Vijay checked the footage captured by the surveillance camera in the neighboring pawn shop he saw a man walking out of the store with the tickets. The angered store owner contacted the police at once, but does not expect to see the tickets again.

 "This is the second time this has happened in the last two years, and nobody can do anything," Vijay said.  "Even if you catch him you are not able to find the tickets."

Atlantic Lottery Corporation spokeswoman Carla Bourque said the lottery's retailer policy agreement states tickets are the retailer's responsibility after they have been bought.

When he gets his next delivery of tickets Vijay plans to display a photocopy of each type of ticket and carry the real tickets on his person.

"I have to do it because I’m losing," he said.

Love of Soft Drinks Brings in Some Much-Needed Lotto Cash

A couple from Eaglescliffe in the North East of England who bagged a sizeable UK National Lottery prize, says the win only came about thanks to a scarcity of their favorite soft drink.

"I wanted some sprite to go with my Southern Comfort and I couldn't find a bottle anywhere," Robert Silcox said. "I went from shop to shop. Eventually I went into Spar in Grange over Sands and picked one up, and decided to buy a lotto ticket while I was there."

Robert's decision proved to be a profitable one because the ticket turned out to be worth £111,812 and the win couldn't have come at a better time because times have been hard for Robert and his partner Emma Coulson.

"He's been working really, really hard," Emma explained. "It's been a very difficult time as we have had financial problems. This win is life-changing for us as it means we don't have to worry."

The couple now intends to carry out some home improvements and hopes to take a vacation sometime in the near future.

Who Will Purchase the First Wyoming Lottery Ticket?

Sales of Wyoming Lottery tickets will commence on Sunday, August 24, 2014, but the question is 'who will go down in history as being the first person to purchase a WyoLotto ticket?' That's a question that will be answered on Monday when the lottery announces the winner of its Launch Day Giveaway.

Lottery officials will be joined by Gov. Matt Mead and Secretary of State Max Maxfield when the announcement is made during a live event at the Wyoming Lottery headquarters in Cheyenne.

The competition winner will receive a new Jeep Wrangler and be treated to a special launch day celebration at their chosen lotto retail outlet, on August 24. The celebrations will get into full swing at noon, when the winner buys the first ticket. WyoLotto tickets will then be available from approved retailers across the state.

UK Lotto Drawing Produces no Big Winners on Saturday Night

No tickets matched the six main numbers necessary to win tonight's £4.2 million UK Lotto Jackpot, but six players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, to win second tier prizes of £56,495, and 184 ticket-holders won £1,564 for matching five numbers. A further £7,741,600 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

The winning lotto numbers were 1, 3, 25, 33, 36, and 42. The bonus number was 14.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The next drawing is on Wednesday, August 20, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £5.6 million.

Indiana Joins the Monopoly Millionaire’s Club

Lottery players in the US state of Indiana will be able to take part in a new game which will make its debut on Sunday, October 19, 2014.

The new "Monopoly Millionaire’s Club" is a multi-state lottery game, but unlike US Mega Millions and US Powerball the new game will not offer huge cash prizes. The maximum win will be $1 million and each time there is a rollover instead of a growing jackpot an increased number of top prizes will become available.

Hoosier Lottery spokeswoman Courtney Arango said: "The game addresses players' requests to have more frequent prizes, but not as large as other multi-state draw games."

The lottery hopes the new game will boost their draw-type games revenue to $428 million.

The new game's format is not unique. The Canada Lotto Max works in a similar fashion, but the Lotto Max jackpot is capped at CAD$ 50 million. The Monopoly Millionaire’s Club's lower cap of just $1 million has the potential to create hundreds of $1 million winners.

The Multi-State Lottery Association is very confident about the viability of their latest offering, calling it 'the most exciting new game in lottery history', but it is not yet known how many state lotteries will be joining the 'club' and offering the game to their players.

One possible catch is the price of play. Tickets will cost $5. Tickets for most draw-type games seldom cost more than $1 to $2, but players often pay much more for scratch-off tickets and the lure of so many $1 million prizes may make the new game too hard for players to resist.

Plastic is not so Fantastic for Lottery Retailer QuickTrip

The American convenience store chain QuickTrip will no longer be allowing customers to use credit or debit cards to pay for lottery tickets. The new rule comes into force on Monday, August 18, 2014.

QuickTrip blames the decision on the high fees charged by banks and credit card companies each time a transaction is made.

Some US states, including QuickTrip's home state of Oklahoma, have laws that require all lottery tickets be purchased with cash. Other states leave the decision up to the discretion of individual retailers, but with banks charging fees that often leave ticket sellers out of pocket many retailers are choosing to say 'no!' to anything but cash.

Euromillions Rollover on Friday Night

There was a fifth Euromillions rollover tonight, so there are no new Euromillionaires.

Two ticket-holders won second tier prizes of €687,788 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star. If any of those players had matched a second lucky star it would have made a huge difference to their payout because they would have scooped the €46,954,024 jackpot.

The Euromillions numbers drawn on Friday, August 15, 2014, were 4, 5, 21, 23, and 30. The two Lucky Stars were 8 and 10.

Twelve players didn't match any Lucky Stars, but were awarded third tier prizes of €38,210 for matching five main numbers. Thirty-six players won €6,368 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 2,462,015 Euromillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next Euromillions drawing is on Tuesday, August 19, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €54 million (£43 million).

Florida Lotto Jackpot Climbs to $15 Million

The Florida Lotto jackpot hasn't been won in quite some time so the estimated jackpot for the next drawing, on Saturday, August 16, 2014, now stands at $15 million.

Players may be finding it difficult to match the six numbers required to win the Florida Lotto's top prize, but some of the Florida Lottery's other games are still producing some respectable wins.

Lake Worth resident, David Schneider, recently bagged a $1 million prize from the "100X The Cash" scratch-off ticket he bought from his local Hess Express gas station, and Gertha Ulysse got twice as lucky when she scooped a $2 million prize on a scratch-off ticket she purchased from a C Mart store in Lakeland.

UK Lotto Players Receive Unusually Low Payout for Matching Four Numbers

UK National Lottery players all over Britain saw red on Wednesday night when, for the first time ever, players who matched four numbers received a significantly lower prize than those who only matched three of the numbers drawn.

Players who matched three numbers in the August 13, 2014, Lotto drawing won the set prize of £25, but those who matched four winning numbers were only eligible for a £15 prize.

A spokesperson for the National Lottery organizer Camelot UK blamed the small payout out the amount of low numbers drawn and an unusually high percentage of players who matched 3 numbers.

"We had 60% more Match 3 winners than expected, so you had Match 4 winners sharing a smaller pot," the spokesperson said.

Unfortunately for Camelot explanations offer little in compensation to the 16,593 UK Lotto players who successfully matched four numbers on Wednesday night and some players are so disgusted they are considering quitting the game.

Sixty-three-year-old Lyn Blakemore from Rothwell, Leeds, was so disappointed by her payout for matching four numbers she no longer considers the game worth playing.

"Me and my husband Arthur wanted to go to France this weekend, but now we’re off to Skegness. I don’t know if we’ll buy a ticket this weekend," she said.

Seventy-year-old Jim Naven from Birmingham was equally unimpressed.

"I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry," he said. "It seems ridiculous. Camelot should apologies. They are building up one prize to wreck another. They will lose customers over it."

Colorado Man Claims $90 Million Jackpot

The winner of the largest jackpot ever to be won a Colorado Lottery ticket claimed his prize on Wednesday.

The Rifle resident, who used to drive a tow truck until he scooped the $90 million US Powerball jackpot on Saturday, August 9, 2014, does not wish to receive too much publicity so he only provide the partial name Claude "Al" G.

Al's mother, Marie, and his wife, Jackie, accompanied him yesterday when he attended a press conference organized by lottery officials. When asked about his plans for the money, Al said he intends to take his family on a big vacation, but he has yet to decide on whether to take the prize in annuity payments or as a one-time lump-sum payment of $54,878,048.78.

Al purchased his winning Quick Pick ticket at his local Kum and Go convenience store. The store will receive a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

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 Saturday, August 16, 2014. The estimated jackpot is $50 million.

US Mega Millions players don't have so long to wait if they wish to test their luck. The next drawing is on Friday at 23:00 (ET) and the estimated jackpot is $144 million.

Retired Taxi Driver Picks up a Big Win

A retired taxi driver from the Bronx picked up a big, check with $11.5 million written across it on Tuesday, August 12, 2014.

Leroy Beckford, 83, bought his winning New York Lottery quick pick ticket from his local 7 and 7 deli and now says he hasn’t got a care in the world. That may be so, but his face showed a noticeable lack of emotion during the prize-giving ceremony. His family said this was due to his shy nature.

The lucky winner presently shares an apartment with his daughter Michelle, who indicated he may be planning some big changes.

"He might go off and do his own thing. He said he might get a wife," Michelle said.

Australian Lotto Winner Reveals his Plans

The mystery man who won a AUD$ 2.6 million share of the Australian Lotto Division One prize on Saturday may be cagey about revealing his identity but he is happy enough to reveal his plans for some the money.

"I've been watching some of the reality TV shows about home renovations and I've been inspired to do a few things," the man said. "I'll get a new kitchen in, new floors—update the whole house."

The industrious winner purchased his ticket from Grantham LPO, Tatts & News in Brunswick West, Victoria. He was one of eight players who took a share of the AUD$ 21 million Division One prize.

UK Lotto Jackpot Split Two Ways

Two tickets matched the six winning numbers in tonight's UK National Lottery Lotto drawing so the £720,152 Lotto jackpot will be split two ways. Each ticket-holder will receive £360,076.

The winning lotto numbers were 5, 9, 11, 20, 23, and 30. The bonus number was 45.

Seven players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £8,211, and 464 players won £105 for matching five numbers. A further £5,730,720 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Saturday, August 16, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £4.1 million.

$90 Million Prize Remains Unclaimed in Colorado

The Colorado Lottery is still waiting for Saturday's US Powerball Jackpot winner to come forward and claim their mammoth $90 million prize.

The winning ticket, bearing the numbers 3, 12, 31, 34, 51—and the Powerball number 24—was purchased from the Kum and Go convenience store in Rifle.

The Colorado Lottery says it’s the largest prize ever to be won on a Colorado ticket and has an estimated cash payout value of $54.9 million.

Kum and go will receive a $50,000 retailer's bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The US Powerball jackpot has been reset so the estimated jackpot for the Wednesday, August 13, 2014, drawing is $40 million. That's a good deal of money for a starting jackpot, but players looking for a larger pot to shoot for need look no further than Friday's US Mega Millions draw. The game is living up to its name and has an estimated jackpot is $144 million.

Painter gets some Cash to Splash Courtesy of the National Lottery

Saturday's £7 million UK National Lottery Lotto jackpot has been claimed by a painter and decorator from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Willie Sibbald, 48, matched all six of Saturday's Lotto numbers and the moment he discovered he'd won Willie remembered a promise he'd made several years ago. He and his friend, Rab Layden, 57, made a pact that if either one of them won the lottery they would 'see each other right'.

Rab was busy applying a coat of paint to someone's kitchen when he received the call from Willie.

"He phoned me at 1.45pm and said 'By the way I've got something to tell you, are you sitting down? I'm the guy that won the lottery'—and I about collapsed," Rab recalled.

The two friends then met up, paid a visit to their employer, and within an hour of their phone conversation they'd both taken an early retirement and were heading for their local pub to celebrate.

"We used to say 'Imagine it was us, what would you do?' But you never expect it," Willie said.

The prosperous painter fell asleep on Saturday evening; so he missed seeing the drawing on TV and didn't discover the unexpected had become a reality until later that evening when the numbers were shown in-between commercials.

I was staying with one of my relatives and I checked the ticket and shouted to my aunty 'I've won the lottery' and we checked the ticket again and again. It was just crazy."

When asked about his plans for the money, Willie said he hopes to learn to drive and purchase a Rolls Royce car.

Another Euromillions Rollover on Tuesday Night

No tickets matched the five main numbers and two Lucky Stars required to win Tuesday's €37.7 million (£30 million) jackpot so Euromillions players will have an even larger prize to aim for later in the week.

The winning Euromillions numbers drawn on Tuesday, August 12, 2014, were 7, 16, 19, 22, and 33. The Lucky Stars were 2 and 5.

Two players won second tier prizes of €513,136 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star.

Five players came up short on Lucky Stars, but still managed to win third tier prizes of €68,418 for matching five main numbers.

Eighty-six players won €1,988 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 1,968,768 Euromillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next Euromillions drawing is on Friday, August 15. The estimated jackpot is €47 million (£37 million).

Lotto Winner says his Girlfriend Predicted the Win

A man from Christchurch, New Zealand, scooped the NZD$ 14.3 million jackpot at the weekend, but never thought to check his numbers until his girlfriend rang him on Monday morning and told him she had a 'feeling'  he'd won.

Acting on his girlfriend's advice, he dashed to the nearest Lotto store, handed his ticket over to be checked, and discovered his girlfriend's prediction was bang on the money.

"The guy at the Lotto store told me I'd won $14,000 and I thought 'that's amazing' I was so excited that I phoned my girlfriend straight away to tell her," the man recalled, but his heart sank moments later when the store clerk examined the numbers more closely.

"While I was on the phone, the guy said to me 'I'm really sorry, I've made a mistake' and straight away my stomach dropped," the man continued. "Then he said, 'you've actually won $14 million.'"

After he got off the phone to his girlfriend the man had two more important calls to make. He rang the airport and booked a ticket to Auckland so that he could claim his prize and then rang his boss to say he quit.

The lucky winner has opted to remain anonymous, but New Zealand Lotto representative Emilia Mazur confirmed the man presented the winning ticket on Monday afternoon.

When asked about his plans for the money the man said he'd always dreamed of owning a house set in five acres of land, but admitted he had so many other ideas anything was possible.

"I'll probably still buy a house, and I want to help all of my kids get houses too," he said.

Irish Lotto Winner Picks up his Prize

The young man who scooped the €5,935,632 Irish Lotto jackpot on Wednesday, August 6, 2014, visited the National Lottery Ireland's offices in Dublin yesterday and picked up his check.

Ireland's latest lotto millionaire, who has opted to remain anonymous, was accompanied by his wife, his mother, and other close family members.

"It couldn’t have happened to a better lad," his mother said. "He deserves all the happiness in the world."

The lucky winner was so blown away his lotto success he said it felt like he was having 'and out of body experience.'

"I always said I'd win the Lotto one day," he beamed, "but I didn't really believe it would happen, and certainly not this soon—it's unbelievable."

Lottery Tickets now on Sale at Kansas City International Airport

Visitors at Kansas City International Airport now have the opportunity to win a little extra travelling money from lottery ticket vending machines inside Terminal B.

The first tickets went on sale on Tuesday, August 5, 2014, thanks to an agreement was struck between the Missouri Lottery and the airport's vendor HMSHost.

Speaking in March when the plans were announced, Missouri Lottery spokeswoman Susan Goedde said: "We are always looking for new locations to sell our products, and KCI seemed like a perfect fit. We think airport patrons will find it to be a fun and entertaining way to pass the time while they wait for their plane."

Lotto Scammers Feeling the Pressure

The Jamaican Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, has dismissed claims that Lottery scams are on the up.

Speaking during a press conference at the Police Officers' Club last week, Bunting stated there have been over 600 arrests since the government sanctioned the lotto scam legislation in March 2013.

Jamaican lottery scams have been a problem for many years. In 2009 the Jamaican and United States governments set up a task force to bring the scammers to justice, but some prosecutors in the US have suggested the problem has continued to get worse.

Bunting disagrees.

"Since the passage of the Law Reform Fraudulent Transaction Special Provisions Act about 15 months ago," Bunting said, "over 600 persons have been arrested and charged under that piece of legislation."

Bunting also pointed out that over 20 cases have already been brought to court, all of which resulted in a conviction.

"My feedback from the US law enforcement is that the US considered the level of cooperation as unprecedented," Bunting stated.

Bunting then said the Lottery Scam Task Force is one of the most productive units in Jamaica, scammers are feeling the pressure, and be believes the situation has improved.

"This is not just limited to the security forces of any organization in Jamaica, but for a small unit within the Major Organized Crime Agency," Bunting continued. "The over 600 arrests with convictions to all that came through the system is an excellent record."

Thunderball Windfall for OAP

Eighty-year-old Rachel Gibson Fullerton from Middleborough, England, won't need to rely on her pension any longer. The lucky OAP scooped a £500,000 prize in the UK National Lottery's Thunderball drawing on Friday, August 1, 2014.

Recalling the night of the draw Rachel said: "On Friday night I settled down in front of the television to watch the Thunderball draw and watched in disbelief as, one by one, my numbers came up on the screen. I sat there in a state of shock for a while, but thought I had better speak to someone official to check that I wasn’t imagining things."

She wasn't imagining things and is now considering a change of scene.

"At this moment in time, everything still feels like a bit of a dream but I’m seriously thinking about moving to Hitchin to be closer to my cousin," she said.

The Biggest Lottery Jackpots for the Coming Week

The estimated Euromillions jackpot for the Tuesday, August 12, 2014 drawing is €37 million (USD$ 49.6 million) and Friday's Eurojackpot drawing has a top prize of €31 million (USD$ 41.5 million); so there are two very respectable big cash prize up for grabs in Europe within the next week.

There may be some big money prize available in Europe, but Australian Powerball Players can aim their sights a little higher because the present jackpot stands at AUD$ 50 million (USD$ 46.3 million). That a lot of wonga so if some lucky ticket-holder manages to match the six main numbers and the Powerball on Thursday someone in the land down under will have very reason to feel on top of the world.

Although it is not quite as large as its namesake from the other side of the world, the US Powerball jackpot has also grown very enticing over the last few weeks. Nobody has scooped the top prize since Wednesday, July 9, 2014. There has been nine rollovers since then so US Powerball players have a USD$ 40 million pot to play for on Wednesday night.

Not to be outdone by its competitors, the US Mega Millions game offers the biggest prize available at the present time.  There has not been a Mega Millions jackpot win since Friday, June 27, when one lucky ticket-holder matched the five main numbers and the Mega Ball and scooped the USD$ 33 million prize. That's a decent prize, but it's mere pocket-change compared to Tuesday mammoth jackpot of USD$ 128 million.

Queensland Woman Scoops a First Division Win

A woman from Queensland, Australia, made her daily commute to work earlier this week unaware that she'd won the AUD$ 1 million First Division prize in the Australian Lotto Wednesday night drawing.

The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, discovered the good news later on Thursday morning. She contacted lottery organizers, Golden Casket, straight away and they confirmed she was the lucky winner.

When asked about her plans for the money she said it was too early to say.

"I can't believe it! This prize will be an amazing help," the woman said. "I've still got to go work but I don't know how I'm going to concentrate today."

Wisconsin Lottery goes from Strength to Strength

The Wisconsin Lottery has announced record levels of sales for the third year running.

Ticket sales for the fiscal year ending June 30, were almost $569 million. The lottery's previous record of just under $566 million was set in the fiscal year ending 2013.

Speaking on Friday Wisconsin Lottery Director Mike Edmonds said it had been a good year for the state's lottery players, tax payers, and business owners and pointed out the record level of sales generated $160 million in property tax relief for home owners.

"Lottery retailers received over $38 million in commissions. Players took home more than $280 million in prizes during the year, including eight $1 million winners," Edmonds said.

UK Lotto Jackpot Won on Saturday Night

One ticket matched the six winning numbers in tonight's UK National Lottery Lotto drawing so the £7 million jackpot has been won.

The winning UK Lotto numbers drawn on Saturday, August 9, 2014, were 16, 36, 40, 43, 45, and 47. The bonus number was 10.

Five tickets matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £89,639, and 153 players won £2,487 for matching five numbers. A further £6,861,667 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Wednesday, August 13, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £2.1 million.

Two Million Reasons to Smile

A Canada BC49 player from Richmond, British Columbia, had plenty of reason to smile yesterday when as he held aloft a large ceremonial check for $2,000,085.

Technologist Edgar Gracia, 71, got lucky on Saturday, July 26, 2014, when he matched all six of the winning numbers and scooped the jackpot.

Speaking on Friday, July 8, 2014, Gracia recalled the moment he realized he'd bagged the top prize.

"I took a look at it [the ticket] and I just stared," Gracia said. "I literally sat and looked at the numbers and ticket—back and forth—for at least two minutes. Finally, I thought to myself, 'I hit the jackpot!'"

Apparently his wife took the win in her stride and kept it 'very cool' when he shared the good news.

Originally from the Philippines, Gracia has always had a charitable disposition and regularly donates money to causes that help feed and educate Filipino children.

"We’re going to keep doing the same things, just be a bit more organized, and save for our own retirement," Gracia said. "This is a blessing and I will continue to give back—doing things worthwhile for humanity."

With over 70 years under his belt Gracia could be forgiven if he decided to jack-in his job and finally retire, but he says he loves his work and has no intention of quitting. He also plans to keep on playing the lottery and does not discount a future big win.

"History sometimes repeats itself and you may see me again," he said.

Store Owner Celebrates Selling a Winning Ticket

The owner of the Michigan store that sold a US Mega Millions ticket worth $66 million hosted a barbecue yesterday to celebrate his customer's lottery success.

Sunny's Amoco gas station and convenience store owner Sonny Tarhini has been planning the cookout for a while. The idea struck him as soon as he discovered one of his customer had won the June 13, 2014, Mega Millions jackpot, but it took a while for the winner to come forward so the celebrations were postponed.

Twenty-four-year-old Kelsey Zachow claimed her prize last week so Sonny finally managed to set his plans in motion.

"It’s a payback for the community," he said.

Another Euromillions Rollover on Friday Night

No tickets matched the five main numbers and two Lucky Stars required to win tonight's €31 million (£24 million) Euromillions jackpot so the pot has rolled over for a third time.

The Euromillions numbers drawn on Friday, August 8, 2014, were 21, 29, 35, 43, and 46. The two Lucky Stars were 1 and 9.

Four players won second tier prizes of €355,306 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star.

Eleven players failed to get any Lucky Stars, but were awarded third tier prizes of €43,067 for matching five main numbers.

Forty-two players won €5,639 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 2,047,752 Euromillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next Euromillions drawing is on Tuesday, August 12, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €37 million (£29 million).

Wyoming Lottery Announce Launch Day Giveaway

The Wyoming Lottery Corporation will be hosting a giveaway to decide who gets to be the first person to purchase a Wyoming Lottery ticket. As an added bonus the selected player will also be allowed to choose the retail outlet they purchase the ticket from.

The WyoLotto Launch Day Giveaway will select a random entry from each of its eight areas and the lucky Grand Prize winner will recieve the latest Jeep Wrangler as a prize and be treated to a launch day celebration at their chosen WyoLotto retailer, where they will be able to purchase the first Wyoming Lottery ticket.

Eight other area winners will be given a $1,000 prize, and a year's supply of US Mega Millions tickets, along with an invitation to the Wyoming Lottery's pre-launch business event at Wolcott Galleria in Casper on Saturday, August 23, 2014.

Wyoming Lottery CEO Jon Clontz believes the giveaway will create a little buzz about the lottery and help ensure its future success.

Clontz said: "We’ve had many people say they want to be the first person to buy a lottery ticket in Wyoming. We decided a giveaway was a great way to promote the lottery and give everyone a chance to be the one who goes down in Wyoming history as the first ticket purchaser."

Entries for the WyLotto Launch Day Giveaway must be submitted before August 16. The winners will be announced during a live event hosted at the lottery headquarters in Cheyenne on August 18.

Mamma you Won!

A woman from Danville, Virginia claimed a $1 million US Powerball prize on Thursday and said she had no idea she'd won until her daughter came round and checked her ticket.

Betty Cook matched all five of the main numbers, but failed to get the Powerball on Saturday, August 2, 2014. She remained oblivious to her lotto success until her daughter heard a radio announcement about an unclaimed prize won on a Danville ticket.

"She said mama where is that ticket at? Let me check it," Betty recalled. "She sat down and she pulled it up on her phone and she checked it and she jumped up and about gave me a heart attack she said mama you won you won. I was just stunned."

As for her plans for the money, Betty said she intends to pay some bills and help out her daughters.

Australian Lotto Syndicate Honor Dead Friend

Ten men from Barragup, Western Australia, scooped a share of an Oz Lotto First Division prize just eight weeks after forming the syndicate in honor of a friend the week he succumbed to cancer.

Eight tickets matched the seven main numbers required to win the AUD$ 4 million First Division prize on July 29, 2014. The syndicate received  AUD$ 750,000 and syndicate members Eric, Mark, Scott, Jamie, Barry, Todd, John, Vern, Craig, and Tony gave a portion of the prize to the widow of their dead friend, Lance.

"We reckon he's up there watching us," Eric said.

Poole Man Bags a Major Win

A mystery man from Poole has become the second person to win the largest prize ever offered on a UK National Lottery scratchcard.

The lucky winner purchased his "£4 Million Gold" scratchcard from the Spar on Bournemouth Road in Ashley Cross, on Friday, July 18, 2014. It cost £10 and netted him the top prize of £4 million.

He scratched away the card's covering while he was still inside the store. Spar owner Ashok Shukla stood and watched, his eyes wide with amazement.

"He asked me to check the card through the machine in case it was a misprint," Shukla said. "I checked it through the terminal twice and it simply came up saying 'don't pay out, ask customer to call the hotline'.

Thinking back, Shukla recalled the man remained very calm.

"I think I was more excited than him," he said.

Advising his customer to go home, sit down with a glass of water, and not ring anyone for ten minutes, Shukla rang National Lottery organizers, Camelot, informed them of the win, and said the winner would be calling them soon.

Twenty minutes later the man returned to the store and said Camelot had confirmed the win and would be visiting him the following week.

"We are really happy for him and it's great news for us as it proves that these top jackpots are out there," Shukla said.

Only two more top prizes remain in the £4 Million Gold game. The odds of bagging one of them are one in 4,232,860.

Superenlotto Jackpot Reaches €20 Million

Italy's Superenelotto jackpot has not been won for several weeks so the estimated jackpot for the next drawing, on Thursday, August 7, 2014, is now €20 Million. That's a very respectable prize, but the game is known for producing long successions of rollovers so big prizes are not unusual and the jackpot once reached €177 million.

Superenelotto drawings are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The game was launched in 1997 and has already paid out over €20 billion in prizes.

The Eurojackpot jackpot has also evaded players for several weeks. The next drawing is on Friday and the estimated jackpot is €26 million, but Euromillions draws the same day and, with a jackpot of €31 million, it's probably offering the largest present European prize.

Wednesday Night Rollover for UK Lotto

No tickets matched the six main numbers necessary to win tonight's £2.4 million jackpot in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing so the prize will rollover.

The winning UK Lotto numbers were 17, 21, 29, 33, 35, and 46. The bonus number was 28.

One ticket matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win a second tier prize of £197,336, and 132 ticket-holders won £1,269 for matching five numbers. A further £3,720,700 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Saturday, August 9, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £5.7 million.

Kent Couple Bag Euromillions Prize

On Tuesday, July 29, 2014, IT Manager Wayne Home, 57, stooped off on the way to work, popped into the Barming Post Office in Bull Orchard, Maidstone, Kent, and purchased a ticket for that night's Euromillions draw. Two days later he checked the ticket and realized he'd won £1 million in the Euromillions Raffle.

His wife Desirée, 57, said: "I couldn't believe it. At first he said we had won £500,000, then he told me we'd actually won a million and I thought he was joking. I've been breaking out into fits of laughter for days."

The good news comes at the end of a particularly dark period for the East Farleigh residents, who have been married for 34 years. Desirée was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2008 and suffered respiratory failure on two occasions.

Speaking of their Euromillions win, Desirée said: "It is great for the children and us. It allows us to relax after such a difficult period."

The couple has three children and four grandchildren.

Now that money is no longer an issue Wayne and Desirée intend to take it easy, enjoy life, and spend more time pursuing activities they enjoy.

"We've gone from living day by day to relaxing day by day," Wayne said.

 The lucky winners describe their present home as 'perfect', so they have no plans to buy a bigger house, but Wayne admits to having nautical ambitions. He plans to upgrade the £1,126 boat he bought from eBay and make it suitable for ocean travel.

Gas Station Workers Arrested for Ticket-Tampering

Two gas station employees from the Two Exxon Station at Melbourne Beach in Brevard County, Florida, have been arrested for tampering with Florida Lottery scratch-off tickets.

Caitlin S. Kaczynski, 25, and Brandi F. Anton, 23, have been accused of scanning tickets to find the winners and then taking the winning tickets to another establishment and cashing them.

They have been charged with scheme to defraud.

According to Melbourne Beach police, Kaczynski and Anton were caught in the act by the gas station's video surveillance system which recorded them taking tickets worth over $14,000.

The police investigation continues and further charges are possible.

Euromillions Jackpot Rollover on Tuesday Night

No tickets matched the five main numbers and two Lucky Stars required to win tonight's €21.4 million (£17 million) Euromillions jackpot, but five lucky players won second tier prizes of €194,005 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star.

Seven players lucked out on Lucky Stars, but were awarded third tier prizes of €46,191 for matching five main numbers.

Forty-two players won €3,849 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 1,864,773 Euromillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The Euromillions numbers drawn on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 were 5, 7, 19, 21, and 42. The two Lucky Stars were 5 and 11.

The next Euromillions drawing is on Friday, August 8, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €31 million (£24 million).

Oz Lotto Winner Plans to Invest in a Harley Davidson

An Oz Lotto player from Melbourne, Australia, has claimed the First Division prize from the Tuesday, July 29, 2014, drawing.

The lucky winner who matched the seven numbers necessary to secure the AUD$ 7.5 million prize picked up his check on Saturday. He opted to remain anonymous, but told lottery officials he intends to take an early retirement and pursue a life of leisure.

"It really hasn't sunk in yet, but as soon as I checked my ticket I decided I'm going to retire this month," he said.

Although the mystery winner admits his plans include building a new home he made somewhat of a break from tradition by deciding against celebrating his lotto success with the purchase of a new car.

"I'm going to get the bike I've always wanted—it'll be a Harley," he said.

The man purchased his winning ticket from Wyndham Village Lotto and News in Tarneit and it isn’t the first time the store has sold a Division One-winning ticket. Another customer scooped a AUD$ 1 million prize 12 months ago.

The store has changed hands since then and the present owner Mahesh Thakur must have a lucky touch because he'd only been running the store for a day when he sold the AUD$ 7.5 million ticket.

"It's been a very exciting time for us and our customers," Thakur said. "Hopefully the luck continues this week."

The luck didn't continue because there were no First Division Oz Lotto winners this week, so next Tuesday's First Division prize is AUD$ 5 million.

$100 Million Mega Millions Jackpot up for Grabs on Tuesday Night

The US Mega Millions jackpot hasn't been won since Friday, June 27, 2014. There have been ten rollovers since then so the jackpot for Tuesday, July 5, 2014, stands at $100 million. To win the mammoth prize players will need to match all five numbers and the Mega Ball. If no player manages to do so the prize will rollover to Friday and grow larger still.

Over in Europe Tuesday night is Euromillions night. The present jackpot is €21 million. To win the Euromillions jackpot players need to match the five winning numbers and the two Lucky Stars. The odds of winning the Euromillions jackpot are 1 in 116,531,800, but with 13 prize levels available it's no wonder Euromillions is suck a hit with players.

Former Priest's Name used in Powerball Scam

When former priest, Ray Cockrum, claimed the $259 Jackpot from the June 11, 2014 US Powerball drawing he said he planned to give most of the money away and continue living a simple life. Now unscrupulous lottery scam artists have hijacked his good intentions and are using his name in an advance fees con.

One intended victim, Juan Vasquez from Phoenix, Arizona, received an email claiming to have been sent by Cockrum, and saw through the scam straight away.

"I got an e-mail saying to collect my winnings I needed to pay up to $480 for an immediate transfer of the $3 million," Vasquez said. "I'm a firm believer that I do have good luck, but something just didn't jive from that."

Cockrum's PR firm is aware of the scam and stated: "He [Cockrum] is not sending e-mails offering money to individuals. No person or organization not previously known to Mr. Cockrum will be offered any prize money."

Lottery Winner Continues Putting her Money to Good Work

When Margaret Loughrey won the €32 million Euromillions jackpot in December 2013, she said she intended to spread the money around and 'do the right thing'. That was eight months ago and, true to her word; the generous winner has already given away nearly half of her fortune to help people in need.

At the time of her big win Loughrey was getting by on benefits and picked up her winning ticket on her way home from the Job Center.

"I know what it's like to have nothing," Loughrey said. "That's why I'm giving it away—I can't miss what I never had."

Loughrey's most recent acquisition is the historic Herdman's Mill on the banks of the River Mourne in County Tyrone, which she plans on turning into a tourist attraction that will create extra jobs in the area.

"Everyone has the right to work for a living, to support their families, to buy their own home, to run their own business," she said. "People just need to be given opportunities."

The struggle to find work is one Loughrey is all too familiar with.

"I spent half of my adult life unemployed and the other half on the minimum wage so I know only too well how hard things can be," she said.

Now the director of nine companies, Loughrey believes there is a lot of untapped talent and potential in the Strabane area and she plans to continue using her Euromillons to rectify the situation.

"I always said I'd keep €1million for myself and give the rest to the town," she said.

A Double Dose of Good Luck for Indiana Man

A man from Indiana has won two seven figure Hoosier Lottery prizes in less than three months.

Lady Luck first showed her favor towards Robert Hamilton on April 28, 2014, when he splashed out $10 on a Hoosier Lottery "$120 Million Cash Spectacular" scratch-off ticket and won $1 million. Then on July 22 he collected a second $1 million prize playing the same game.

According to figures supplied by the Hoosier Lottery the odds of winning a $1 million prize in the "$120 Million Cash Spectacular" game are 2.1 million to one, but Hamilton has beaten the odds twice so that's some freaky good luck.

Hamilton used the money from his first win to pay off his debts and buy a house. He also invested some money in his business and bought his father a new truck.  This time around the doubly lucky winner plans to invest in a new motorcycle.

Memory Lapse Results in Big Win for Michigan Woman

A young woman from Michigan scored a big lottery win this week when she forgot to buy the hot dog buns she needed for a family cookout.

When Maranda Coffey, 18, returned from a shopping trip to Dore's Party Store in Whittemore and realized her oversight she went back to the store and bought a Michigan Lottery Cash for Life scratch-off ticket while she was there.

"I went back to the store with my mom to get the buns for our cookout and decided I would buy a Cash for Life ticket," Maranda said. "I let Mom pay for the buns and I spent the last dollar in my pocket on the Lottery ticket."

The purchase turned out to be money well spent because when Maranda scratched away the covering on the ticket she discovered she'd won $400 a week for life. She claimed her prize on Friday, August 1, and opted to take the money as a one-time lump-sum payment of $442,842, before taxes.

Maranda is a staff member at the party store and news of her lottery success has resulted in her having to perform a few additional tasks.

"Customers would come into the store and ask which employee won the big prize and when they found out it was me they would ask me to touch their tickets for good luck," Maranda explained.

Miranda plans for her lottery windfall are pretty simple. She intends to buy a house and invest the rest of the money.

Three Tickets Match Saturday's UK Lotto Numbers

Three tickets matched the six winning numbers in last night's UK National Lottery Lotto drawing so the £4.4 million Lotto jackpot will be split three ways. Each ticket-holder will receive £1,471,718.

The winning UK lotto numbers on Saturday, August 2, 2014, were 13, 23, 28, 37, 42, and 45. The bonus number was 25.

Five players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £70,482, and 248 players won £1,206 for matching five numbers. A further £7,611,545 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK National Lottery Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Wednesday, August 6, 2014, Lotto drawing has an estimated jackpot of £2.1 million.

Ten Years of Dedication Pays off for Lotto-Loving Vancouver Couple

After a decade of dedicated playing an elderly couple from Nanaimo, Vancouver, finally won a major Canada BC49 Lotto prize earlier this month.

Barry and Janice Kroening successfully matched all six of the numbers drawn on Saturday, July 12, 2014, and scooped the CAD$ 2 million jackpot.

The B.C. Lottery Corporation announced the news on Tuesday.

The Kroenings discovered they were winners on July 14, when they picked up their morning paper and saw a front page article announcing there was a large unclaimed lottery prize won on a Nanaimo ticket.

"So we ran and got the ticket and we matched the ticket, and that was the beginning of a whole new Monday," Janice said.

The Kroenings, who are both in their sixties, have no immediate plans for the money, but Janice said they will probably do some traveling.

Lotto Win is Twice as Nice for County Cork Man

An Irish Lottery player from County Cork visited the National Lottery Ireland's offices in Dublin on Monday to claim a €1 million lottery prize and got small bonus when he decided to check the rest of his tickets and discovered he'd won a second prize of €500.

The lucky winner has opted to remain anonymous, but lottery officials say he was delighted by his double dose of good luck in the Daily Millions draw.

"I’ve always been a very decent fellow, a very generous person," the winner said. "I made a lot of money working in London but I had heavy debts about eight years ago and lost about €400,000 in a bad investment. I regularly play all Lottery games and I’m delighted my luck’s come up."

Michigan Lottery Presents Mystery Mega Millions Winner

The Michigan Lottery held a press conference on Thursday and revealed the identity of June's mystery $66 million US Mega Millions Winner. Her name is Kelsey Zachow, she is a 24-years-old, and comes from the city of Port Huron.

Kelsey won her mammoth prize on Friday, June 13, 2014, on a ticket she purchased from Sunny's Amoco gas station and convenience store in Mount Clemens, but she never checked the numbers until 10 days after the draw when she finally got around to working through her stack of old tickets.

"When the clerk at the store told me I had a big winner I was positive that he was mistaken," Kelsey said. "There was a long line in the store behind me, so I decided to leave and looked the numbers up when I got into my car. That's when I realized I had won the jackpot and could barely breathe."

Kelsey drove straight home to share the news with her boyfriend and when she got out the car screaming he thought she must have been involved in a road accident.

Once the initial shock wore off a cooler head prevailed. She locked the winning ticket inside her safe and sought the advice of a lawyer and some financial planners.

As for her plans for the money, Kerry said she intends to buy a new home and take a vacation in Europe. She also plans to set up college funds for some of her young relatives and admits to having a secret driving ambition.

"I have always wanted an electric blue Ford Mustang, and one day I will get one, but helping my family live comfortably comes first for me," she said.

Euromillions Rollover on Friday Night

There was a Euromillions rollover last night. The draw may have failed to produce any new Euromillionaires, but six lucky players won second tier prizes of €226,316 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star.

The Euromillions numbers drawn on Friday, August 1, 2014 were 24, 44, 46, 48, and 50. The two Lucky Stars were 5 and 10.

Fourteen players were awarded third tier prizes of €32,330 for matching five main numbers.

Forty-one players won €5,519 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 1,832,546 Euromillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next Euromillions drawing is on Tuesday, August 5, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €21 million (£17 million).

German Lotto Produces Some Surprising Numbers

The German Lotto's last drawing of July produced a surprising set of numbers. All but one of them were consecutive.

The Lotto 6 aus 49 numbers drawn on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 were 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 37. The bonus number was 3.

To win the jackpot all six numbers and the bonus ball would have been required. No players managed to achieve this but six players won €262, 713 for matching the six main numbers.

German Lotto drawings are held Wednesdays and Saturdays. There are nine prize levels and all prizes are tax free.

The next German Lotto drawing is on Saturday, August 2, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €7 million.

Derbyshire Man Says Lotto Win was a Gift from the Other Side

A man from Ashbourne Derbyshire, who won a £20,000 UK National Lottery prize on his 81st birthday, believes the win could be a present from his late wife.

John Biddlecombe lost his wife Alice on July 2, 2014, but he feels she is still watching over him.

"With my wife passing away recently, and with it being my birthday I thought she must be doing something up there, it's just too coincidental," John said.

John purchased his ticket from his local Co-operative store and although he normally get the results via his TV he fell asleep on Wednesday and had no idea he'd won the Lotto Raffle prize until he checked his ticket on the internet the following morning.

Co-operative worker Bev Bates was almost as shocked as John when he handed her the ticket and asked to cash his winnings.

"He gave me the ticket and I ran it through and I just looked at it shocked," Bev said. "I called my supervisor Cheryl over because she had to authorize it and it was such a surprise. We were both really excited."

The payment was authorized at once and moments later John had the £20,000 check in his hand.

A dedicated lotto player, John admits to spending £30 a week on lottery tickets. He's never previously matched more than four numbers, but always hoped he would 'cream it' sometime and certainly looked like the cat who got the cream when he was pictured holding up his winning ticket on Thursday morning.

"I can't believe it. I'm absolutely thrilled," he said.

Irish Lotto Player Proves his Mother was Right all Along

A man from County Cavan visited the National Lottery Ireland's offices in Dublin yesterday, picked up a check for €350,000, and told lottery officials the win had finally proved his mother right.

"My Mam always said if anyone was going to win the Lotto, it would be me," he said.

The man, who has opted to remain anonymous, won the Irish Lotto Plus 1 draw on Saturday, July 26, 2014, on a ticket he purchased from the Maxol Spar on Ballinagh Road in Cavan on the day of the draw.

The lucky winner played two lines. He used his own numbers for the first line and a Quick Pick for the second. The Quick Pick proved to be the charm and bagged him the prize.