Thursday, November 27, 2014

Megabucks for Vermont Couple

In a statement released on Tuesday the Vermont Lottery said the $2.45 million Tri-State Megabucks Plus jackpot from the November 19, drawing has been claimed.

The lottery has not revealed the lucky winners' identity, but stated the prize was claimed by couple from the Greater Rutland area.

It is also known that the winning ticket was purchased from the Middlebury Beef Supply and Grocery store on Route 7.

According to the lottery the couple discovered they had bagged the jackpot when the woman checked the ticket using a self-scanner at a convenience store and the display informed her she needed to contact the Vermont Lottery’s headquarters.

Who is the Big Wednesday Jackpot Winner?

Someone in Auckland bagged the AUD$ 9 million Big Wednesday jackpot, but the New Zealand Lottery has not revealed the identity of the person or syndicate who claimed their life-changing prize.

Although the identity of the winner may be a mystery at present, the lottery said the winning ticket was purchased from Pt Chevalier Lotto Plus. Store owner Pushpa Patel discovered she'd sold a winning ticket when her daughter checked through their emails and found a notification from the New Zealand Lottery.

According to Patel, the ticket-holder has already checked their ticket at another store.

"Apparently they were waiting outside the shop at 7.30 this morning [Thursday]. They collected it somewhere on the North Shore," Patel said. "We're hoping it's someone who needs it."

This is not the first time the Pt Chevalier Lotto Plus has sold a big-prize-winning ticket. In the last 20 years it has sold 12 first division winners along with 97 tickets that secured second division prizes.

The last time the Pt Chevalier Lotto Plus sold a first-division-winning ticket was in 2012 and history appears to be repeating itself because that prize was also claimed at another store.

Thinking back, Patel recalled the time a player discovered she'd won a car and got so excited she ran out of the store and then back in again.

"I had to give her a glass of water. That was in 2006," Patel said.

Big Wednesday is a mid-week lottery that draws every Wednesday night in New Zealand and offers cash and luxury prizes.

California Man Accused of Ticket Tampering

A store clerk from Newport Beach, California, was arrested on Tuesday because it is alleged he was checking through scratch-off lottery tickets to find the winners and reselling the losing tickets to customers at Craig Liquor in the 1200 block of West Macarthur Boulevard.

According to the Orange County District Attorney's office, Francis Bou Karam, 34, was engaged in the illegal activity between January 1, 2013, and November 13, 2014. He has been charged with one felony count of computer access fraud, one felony count of grand theft, and 23 felony counts of forgery.

Karam is accused of redeeming $50,000 in winning. If he is convicted he may face a prison sentence of up to 18 years and 4 months.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

UK Lotto Results for Wednesday, 26 November 2014

The UK National Lottery Lotto numbers drawn on Wednesday, 26 November 2014, were 26, 28, 29, 30, 41, and 49. The bonus number was 31.

One ticket matched all six main numbers and scooped the £2.6 million jackpot.

Two tickets secured second tier prizes of £105,382 for matching five main numbers and the bonus ball.

Eighty-seven ticket-holders won third tier prizes of £2,056 for matching five numbers.

A further £ 3,566,691 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

UK Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The next drawing is on Saturday, November 29, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £4.1 million.

No Jackpot After all for German Lottery Player

A lottery player from Mönchengladbach, Germany, had his hopes raised for nothing last week when a German TV station broadcast the wrong numbers and caused to believe he'd snagged a big win when he had not.

When Franz Engelen, 58, tuned into ZDF on Wednesday, November 19, the onscreen numbers were a perfect match for the six numbers chosen by his lottery syndicate so he thought they'd won the jackpot. His share of the money would have been €950,000.

Unfortunately for Engelen, ZDF had broadcast the previous week's numbers by mistake so his celebrations were all for naught.

Speaking to the German tabloid Bild, Engelen said: "I was on the go; I looked quickly at the draw, wrote down the numbers and turned off the TV. When I compared the numbers with a lottery ticket and saw that six match I could not believe my luck."

Totally fooled by the televised numbers, Engelen and his wife never thought to contact the lottery to ask for confirmation. They began making plans instead and were even considering buying their daughter a condo.

Engelen learned the unfortunate truth the following morning when fellow syndicate member Tipper Reinhard Coenen, 52, told him they'd won not a cent.

"I knew that we had not won,"  Coenen said, recalling he had seen the numbers on teletext and they were not the same as those broadcast by ZDF.

"But Franz felt until the next morning that we were victorious. When he learned it from me, he was devastated," Coenen added.

Time is Running out for New York Powerball Winner

The New York Lottery is still waiting for the holder of a winning US Powerball ticket to come forward and claim their $1 million prize.

The ticket, which matched all five of the winning numbers—but not the Powerball—on December 11, 2013, was purchased from the Quick Mart store located at 38 N. Middletown Road in Manuet.

The ticket bears the numbers 1, 10, 13, 18, and 19. Is this your ticket? If so, time is running out. If the ticket is not presented by close of business on December 11, the prize will be lost for good.

Acting director of the state Lottery's Gaming Commission,  Gardner Gurney, said: "We're eager to award this large prize to the lucky winner and hope that person is making plans to claim it before it's too late."

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

EuroMillions Results for Tuesday, November 25, 2014

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Tuesday, November 25, 2014, were 3, 7, 25, 32, and 36. The two Lucky Stars were 1 and 6.

No tickets matched all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars so the €51.2 million (£40.7 million) jackpot has rolled over.

Five players won second tier prizes of €244,414 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star.

There were also five third tier winners, who failed to get any Lucky Stars, but bagged €81,471 for matching five main numbers.

Fifty players won €4,073 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars.

A further 2,066,782 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Friday, November 28, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €63 million (£50 million).

Australian Newsagents Concerned about Lottery's Plans to Expand Ticket Sales

Newsagents in Maitland, Australia, say they fear the lottery's decision to start selling tickets via larger retailers such as Woolworths could be damaging to their sales.

Fears arose last Thursday when Woolworths boss Grant O'Brien admitted the Australian Lottery organizers, TattsLotto, had approached him to discuss the selling lottery tickets via Woolworths stores.

A number of newsagents from the Maitland area have already contacted the New South Wales government and asked it to intervene and prevent the plans from going ahead.

Worried newsagents have also contacted their local MP, Robyn Parker, in the hopes that she may be able to help them in their campaign.

The owners of one newsagency have been trying to get the support of their customers and have already collected over 130 signatures.

Lyn and Lindsay Patfield (Maitland West End Newsagency) have been running their store for 12 years and believe Tatts' present plans, if allowed to go ahead, will affect a 15,000 newsagencies throughout NSW.

"All newsagents need the public to get behind them on this or we will all be in big trouble," Mr. Patfield stated. "We stock a wide range of magazines and various other items, but we rely on TattsLotto sales as a large part of our business."

Mrs. Patfield was equally concerned.

"I think about 40 per cent of newsagencies would close down if this comes about," Mrs. Patfield said. "Some rely on Lotto sales, which make up more than 70 per cent of their business."

Minister for Small Business John Barilaro has already added his support to the campaign.

"This afternoon, I met with the Newsagents Association and gave them an undertaking to work together to get the best deal for small businesses," Mr. Barilaro said.

Alabama Woman Claims Florida Lotto Jackpot

Last Week's $48 million Florida Lotto jackpot has been claimed by a player from Alabama.

Carolyn Bell, 64, claimed her prize on Monday. According to the Florida Lottery she opted to take her winnings in a one-off, lump-sum payment of $33,609,501.

Bell purchased her winning ticket from Stateline Liquors in Westville. The store will receive a $210,000 retailer's bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Bell told Florida Lottery officials she is a regular player and buys tickets each time she visits Florida. As for her intentions for the future, Bell said she and her husband plan to retire.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Hoosier Lottery Losing out on Monopoly Millionaires' Club

The "Monopoly Millionaires' Club" game has got off to a slow start in Indiana so the Hoosier Lottery has been forced to dip into its own reserves to cover its costs.

The new multi-state game was launched in October in 23 states, including Indiana. Each ticket costs $5 and the weekly jackpots can be as high as $25 million.

A player in New Jersey bagged the first $21 million jackpot on November 7, the revenue generated from nationwide ticket sales left a shortfall of around $22 million.

Ticket sales in Indiana generated over $403,000, but a Hoosier Lottery spokesperson said the lottery had to pay the Multi-State Lottery Association $539,000 for its share of the contributions on November 17.

Bronx Woman Says Powerball Winner Stole her Ticket

A New York Man who claimed a $1 million US Powerball prize last year has had his bank accounts frozen by the courts because doubts have arisen as to the legitimacy of his claim.

When Michael Simmons claimed the Powerball prize he told New York Lottery officials he'd bought the ticket on a whim.

"I felt lucky that day so I decided to play Powerball," he said. "I was actually pretty calm when I realized I just won $1 million."

But Bronx woman, Mercedes Rosario, alleges he did not buy the ticket at all. She says the ticket belonged to her and was stolen by her former live-in boyfriend, Alexis Seda, who then gave it to Simmons.

Rosario filed a lawsuit last Thursday. When asked why Rosario's former lover would have given away the ticket, her lawyer Marc H. Wasserman replied: "That's the million-dollar question."

Wasserman also said his client had been living with too much "fear of both Seda and Simmons to ever come forward as the rightful owner of the ticket."

The couple apparently parted last month and this has given Rosario the confidence to seek retribution, Wasserman said.

Seda is employed by Simmons at Malmek Glass Contracting. Both men deny the allegations.

Seda claims he sent Rosario to a local bodega to purchase the ticket on his behalf and that he then gave the ticket to Simmons.

Simmons said: "Alexis Seda gave me the lottery ticket, stating that he wanted me to have the lottery ticket."

Neither man offered an explanation as to why anyone would wish to give away such a valuable prize.

At a hearing held last Thursday, Justice Julia I. Rodriguez temporarily froze Simmons' bank accounts, along with any of the lottery proceeds.

She has not ruled on Rosario's ownership claim.

No Cash for Filipino Lottery Winner

On Friday the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) told a lottery jackpot winner he would not be receiving his prize.

Antonio F. Mendoza of Calaca, Batangas, won ₱12,391,600 (USD$ 276,277) on Thursday, October 2, 2014, but before he could present his ticket Mendoza's granddaughter decided to smooth out the ticket with a hot iron. The ticket was badly charred and the winning numbers, along with the security features were lost.

PCSO officials have stated no payment can be made because it would violate the policy and rules that govern prize payments.

A PCSO official said: "Paying the jackpot to him will violate the agency’s rules. It is like opening Pandora's Box."

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Lottery Scammer Hypnotized one of his Victims

Police in Hoboken, New Jersey, are searching for a fraudster who scammed money out of two unsuspecting victims by telling them he'd won the lottery and needed help to secure the release of his prize. A third victim claims the mystery man hypnotized her when she failed to fall for the scam.

According to the police report, the man allegedly told his victims he'd won the lottery but was unable to claim his prize because he was living in the US illegally. He then promised his first two victims he would give them a share of the winnings if they gave him money upfront so he could collect his prize.

The first two victims handed over jewelry and cash, but his next victim was not so easily convinced.

On November 7, he approached an 83-year-old woman in Union City and asked for her assistance.  While they were talking two women approached and offered the man a lift the lottery claim center in Jersey City. The man then promised to give each of them $125,000 as a thank you for their assistance.

Unconvinced by the charade, the Union City woman asked him to ring the number on the back of the ticket to verify he'd won. The man seemed to oblige, handed her the phone, and another accomplice confirmed it was a winning ticket.

According to his victim, the man then passed his hand in front of her face and "hypnotized" her into feeling a sudden desire to help him out. She gave him an 18 karat gold medal, two watches, and a 50-year-old engagement ring.

The man and his two accomplices then drove off in a blue SUV.

Anyone who has information that could help bring the perpetrators to justice should call Hoboken police on 201-420-2100.

Lottery Winner's Body found at the Bottom of a Well

Police in Colombo, Sri Lanka, have launched an investigation into the death of a lottery winner who lost it all and was recently found dead at the bottom of a well.

When Sunil won his Rs5 Million (USD$ 38,124) prize he began drinking heavily and lost everything. His wife and children left him because they could not endure his terrible behavior and, when the money ran out as well, he was left with nothing.

He died bankrupt and alone.

Sunil's body was found at the bottom of a well. Police believe his life was ended during the night, but are unsure if he was pushed or simply the victim of a tragic accident.

UK Lotto Results for Saturday, November 22, 2014

Four tickets matched the six winning numbers in Saturday's UK National Lottery Lotto drawing, so the £7.6 million will be split four ways. Each ticket-holder will receive £1,896,064.

The UK Lotto numbers drawn on Saturday, November 22, 2014, were 2, 3, 5, 15, 22, and 29. The bonus number was 26.

Twenty players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £14,683, and 692 players won £360 for matching five numbers. A further £13,502,600 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, November 26, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £2.1 million.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Mississippi Man Bags $ 1 million During Hunting Trip

A Man from Mississippi went on a hunting trip to South Dakota and bagged a $1 million lottery prize.

In an announcement made earlier this week, the South Dakota Lottery said John Chalk Jr. of Brandon, Mississippi, successfully matched all five main numbers in the US Powerball drawing held on Saturday, October 25, 2014.  If he'd matched the Powerball number as well he would have won the $125 million jackpot.

Chalk claimed his prize on Tuesday and said he purchased his ticket from Highland Travel Plaza on Highland Way in Mitchell while he and his friends were on their annual hunting trip.

Highland Travel Plaza will receive a $20,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Lottery Winner Cannot Get a Mortgage

EuroMillions Raffle winner Matt Myles, 27, may have a lot of money sitting in the bank, but he has recently been refused a mortgage because the banks do not consider him a good risk.

When he bagged his $1 million prize in April this year Matt quite his job at the Cargill meat factory in Hereford, England, and jetted-off on an around the world trip. He took his brother Pete, 27, and several friends with him and the group enjoyed a seven-month "bender".

Matt's party destinations included Indonesia, America, Thailand, Italy, and Spain. The gang even managed to fit in time to fly to Brazil for the World Cup in June.

"We basically tried to do a night on, a night off the sauce [alcohol], but most of the time it was night on, night on, night on."

The total spend on alcohol was £72,000.

The celebrations finally came to an end when Matt decided it was time for him to "be a proper grown up" and start planning for his future.

When he returned to the UK earlier this month, Matt's intention was to get into the property market, but his lack of a regular income and his previous bad credit rating scuppered his plans when the banks refused to offer their support.

"I was going to buy a load of houses with mortgages and then get people in to rent them to pay for the mortgage," Matt explained. "But mortgage lenders don’t see the interest of an investment as income so, in effect I am a millionaire, but I can’t even get a mortgage."

Dream Win for New York Lottery Player

A woman from Rockland County, New York, who bagged a $2.5 million prize on a New York Lottery "$2,500 A Week for Life" scratch-off ticket, claims she purchased the ticket after she received a tip-off from beyond the grave.

Speaking to New York Lottery officials on Friday, West Haverstraw resident, Edwina Silvera, said she'd dreamed of her dead father on October 14 and he'd given her a message. Edwina did not wish to disclose the nature of the message but said it caused her to rush out and buy a scratch-off ticket that very night.

"I knew it was a sign, and I had to buy a Lottery ticket," Edwina said.

When asked about her plans for the money, Edwina said she was unsure, but stated she intends to carry on working and will invest some of the money for her future.

Friday, November 21, 2014

EuroMillions Results for Friday, November 21, 2014

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Friday, November 21, 2014 were 4, 7, 28, 32, and 37. The two Lucky Stars were 5 and 10.

No tickets matched the five main numbers and two Lucky Stars required to win the €43 million (£34.1 million) jackpot so a fourth rollover has pumped up the pot and given players an even bigger prize to play for next week.

There was only one second tier winner. That lucky ticket-holder or syndicate has good cause to celebrate because by matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star the ticket has snagged a €1.6 million prize.

Five ticket-holders failed to match any Lucky Stars, but managed to secure third tier prizes of €106,456 for matching five main numbers.

There were 40 fourth tier winners. Each ticket-holder will receive €6,653 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars.

A further 2,708,085 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers. The next EuroMillions drawing is on Tuesday, November 25, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €50 million (£40 million).

Lottery Winner Shows his Appreciation for Life-Saving Surgery

One June 11, 2010, Roy Cockrum had life-saving heart surgery at the Tennessee Medical Center. One the same date four years later the former priest won the largest lottery prize ever to be won by a Tennessee Lottery player.

Earlier this week Cockrum returned to the medical centre. Not as a patient this time, but as a benefactor. The big-winner has not forgotten he would not have been around for his life-changing win if he had not received life-saving surgery; so he has made a donation of $1 million in appreciation of the surgeon who saved his life.

Speaking on Tuesday, Cockrum said: "Dr. Gaines's name is going to be on this gift, but it's for everybody."

When Cockrum won his mammoth $259 million US Powerball prize he vowed to give most of it away to charitable causes. In this instance he appears to have chosen one that is especially close to his heart.

Recalling his arrival at the Medical Center on June 9, 2010, Cockrum said he felt too weak to walk across the room.

"When I left this hospital, I felt great," he said. "I was totally, fully recovered. And I've been trying to think of a way to express my gratitude to the doctors and the staff here for a long time."

Dr. Gaines said the money will be used to recruit "talented" medical professionals, to pay for training expenses, and to fund research projects.

"It has been my pleasure to be Roy Cockrum's heart surgeon and now I am deeply grateful that he has chosen to honor those of us who cared for him with this gift," Dr. Gaines said.

Florida Lotto Jackpot Won at Last

To scoop the Florida Lotto jackpot players need to match six winning numbers. Nobody has been able achieve this in months so, after a succession of rollovers, Wednesday night's drawing had an estimated jackpot of $48 million. That's a life-changing amount of money and it won’t be rolled over because one lucky player or syndicate has matched all the numbers and bagged the reward.

In an announcement made on Thursday, the Florida Lottery stated the winning ticket was purchased in Westville and said the winner had not yet come forward.

The winning Florida Lotto numbers drawn on Wednesday, November 19, 2014, were 13, 16, 17, 26, 39, and 41.

The next Florida Lotto drawing is on Saturday, November 22, 2014. The estimated jackpot is $2 million.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

EuroMillions winner becomes a Money Giver instead of a Money Taker

A debt collector from Northern Ireland who won a £13 million EuroMillions prize earlier this month has vowed to give something back to the community by using some of her wealth to help disadvantaged youngsters.

Mary Hamilton, 65, who lives in from Newtownabbey, County Antrim, with her husband Sandy, used to work as money collector for a furniture company and refuses to forget all the people who helped keep her in a job.

"I work all over Belfast and those people are all so lovely—all of them," Mary said. "I just want to do something for our community in Northern Ireland, for both sides of the community."

A regular lottery player, Mary had been using the same numbers for 10 years, but recently made the change to Lucky Dip tickets.

"I had the ticket a week and I didn't know [it was a winner]. It was in my bag," Mary said. "I didn't think I would ever win money like this. I always hoped I'd win a few hundred or maybe a few thousand but that was it."

Mary claimed her prize on Tuesday and said she intends to up her job and buy a new home. She also plans on making a few more purchases in an effort to pump some cash into the local community.

"I'd like to help both sides of the community and also do my bit to help the local economy which has had it tough lately," she said.

Mary is just of over 3,700 millionaires whose life was changed by the National Lottery, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this week.

Thai Woman Bags the Jackpot and says it won't Change her Life

After years of placing her numbers a 48-year-old factory worker from Kabin Buri, Thailand, proved that patience can pay off when she bagged the bagged the jackpot earlier this week.

Ms. Kwanchit has already claimed her 34 million baht (USD$ 1,034,790) prize, but she said she has no real plans for the money after she has deposited it in her bank and does not anticipate it will bring many changes to her life.  Ms. Kwanchit said she intends to continue living in her present home, but may make it a little nicer, and will continue to earn a little extra cash by breeding and raising crickets.

Ohio Lottery Keen to Start a New Christmas Tradition

The Ohio Lottery Commission has kicked-off a new campaign to encourage players to purchase lottery tickets as Christmas gifts and is hoping to start a new tradition.

The lottery's latest TV commercial shows a family gathering where individual family members show differing levels of interest for Christmas traditions. It then asserts: Everyone loves lottery tickets as a new tradition.

The commercial is just part of a much larger campaign designed to convince viewers lottery tickets are a gift that will never go out of style.

 "It’s really about gaming for entertainment and becoming a part of [families’] traditions," a lottery spokesperson explained.

Lottery tickets are already an increasingly popular gift item the world over. In April this year a man from Mount Gambier, South Australia got a fantastic birthday surprise when the Quick Pick ticket his mother gave him bagged a AUD$1.3 million prize.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

UK Lotto Results for Wednesday, November 19, 2014

No tickets matched the six main numbers necessary to win the £5.9 million jackpot in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on Wednesday night so prize has rolled over.

The winning UK Lotto numbers were 2, 15, 35, 36, 38, and 39. The bonus number was 4.

One ticket-holder matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball, to win a second tier prize of £241,102, and 93 ticket-holders won £2,201 for matching five numbers. A further £3,789,415 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, November 22, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £10 million.

Auditors Call for Clampdown on Michigan Lottery Retailers

Auditors in Michigan, USA, are calling for a clampdown on lottery retailers who purchase winning tickets from players, at a discounted price, and claim the prizes for themselves.

The practice is illegal according to state laws, but many retailers are still happy to take advantage of players who dare not claim their prizes because they owe back taxes or have other debts they do not wish to pay.

A recent audit reveals 37 store owners cashed nearly $3.6 million worth of tickets in 2012 and 2013. One retailer alone collected 107 prizes last year that had a combined value of $346,312.

Auditors also discovered six of the offending store owners had failed to report $509,211 in winnings when they filed their tax forms in 2012.

The Auditor General said: "We recommend that the Lottery Bureau sufficiently identify and investigate lottery retail owners who repurchased winning lottery tickets—likely at a discount."

The Michigan State Lottery responded to the auditor's findings by pointing out there are over 11,000 retailers selling lottery games and stressed the practice of "discounting" is also an issue in many other states.

Nonetheless, the lottery has stated its intention to police retailers more aggressively in the future and instigate an investigation of any retailers that turn in more than 20 tickets per year that are worth over $20,000. As a further counter measure against discounting winners will also be asked to reveal how they obtained their tickets.

The Michigan Lottery stated 13 retailers have been disciplined as a result of the audit.

EuroMillions Results for Tuesday, November 19, 2014

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Tuesday, November 19, 2014, were 2, 3, 17, 36, and 38. The two Lucky Stars were 4 and 11.

No tickets matched the five main numbers and two Lucky Stars required to win the €32.4 million (£26 million) jackpot so a third rollover has beefed up the pot and given players an even bigger prize to play for on Friday night.

The biggest winners were the three ticket-holders who bagged €354,830 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star.

Five ticket-holders failed to match any Lucky Stars, but managed to secure third tier prizes of €70,966 for matching five main numbers.

There were 30 fourth tier winners. Each ticket-holder will receive €5,913 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars.

A further 1,646,122 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Friday, November 21, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €42 million (£34 million).

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Ottawa Man is an Instant Millionaire

A man from Carp in Ottawa, Canada, was in top form last week when he visited the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto and claimed a CAD$ 1 million prize.

Leon Stiles' big win came courtesy of an "Instant $100 Million$ Fortune" scratch-off ticket, but the 56-year-old auto parts foreman was initially unsure if he really had bagged the big prize.

"I was at a coffee shop when I decided to scratch my ticket," Stiles said. "I wasn’t sure if I won anything so I showed it to my nephew and he said, 'You won a million dollars!'"

Needing still further proof Stiles returned to the store where he'd purchased the ticket and asked the cashier to scan it.

"When it was scanned the machine froze!" Stiles recalled.

The lucky winner has now got his heart set on a new truck and, possibly, a new 4-wheeler to keep it company.

EuroMillions Winners Continue to Pump Cash into the Scottish National Party

EuroMillions winners Chris and Colin Weir have inflated the Scottish National Party's coffers with a £1 million donation

The Weirs bagged their massive £161 million prize in July 2011 and the couple make no secret of where their political allegiance lies. They have already made two previous donations to the SNP and their most recent cash injection gives them a total spend of £3 million. This is on top of the £3.5 million they pumped into the YES Scotland independence campaign in the lead up to the referendum.

An SNP Spokesperson said: "As membership of the SNP surges to over 84,000, the party has never been in better shape. We are very grateful for every donation—large and small—from our supporters which all help us to campaign and work for Scotland."

Free Play Results in Big Pay Day for Canadian Couple

A couple from Calgary proved that the best things in life can sometimes be free when they opted to use up all their free play prizes and bagged the CAD$ 5 million Canada Lotto 649 jackpot on Wednesday, November 5, 2014.

Lotto 649 Free Plays are awarded to players who correctly match two numbers in the Lotto 649 draw. Players who match two numbers and the bonus ball win CAD$5, but lose their Free Play entry.

Gerald and Averil Cook cashed in on their free plays at Midtown Market Co-op Centre in Calgary on the day of the draw, but never thought to check their numbers until the following morning when Averil began flicking through the newspaper at the breakfast table.

As soon as Gerald saw the look on his wife's face he knew something big was about to break.

"I've never seen that expression on her face before. She said, 'We’ve won.'" Gerald recalled. "I asked, 'Are you sure?' and she said, 'Yes. We've won!'"

Gerald then went on to have a very busy day. He'd already scheduled a dentist appointment and an interview his mortgage advisor to discuss renewing the financing on his home. He kept both appointments and had every reason to smile when he told his advisor he wouldn’t need the financing after all.

"I said, 'We won the lotto—like the 6/49'," Gerald said. "I was hard to understand, then suddenly it clicked and our adviser started screaming. She was so happy for us!"

 Apart from paying off their mortgage, the Cooks say they plan on giving some of their winnings to family members and are looking forward to travelling to southern Europe.

Monday, November 17, 2014

"Lucky Store" Sells another Winning Ticket

The manager of a store in Cherryville, North Carolina, is hoping for an increased in lottery ticket sales once word gets around that the store sold two $1 million-winning tickets.

The TAS Drug pharmacy located on West Church, Cherryville, had its first taste of success in January 2009, when a syndicated from the Gaston County Sheriff's office purchased a US Powerball ticket that bagged a $1 million prize for matching five main numbers, but not the Powerball.

Less than two weeks ago the store proved that lightning can strike twice in the same place when pharmacy worker, Zalene Brant, 21, sold a ticket for the Saturday, November 8,  US Powerball drawing.  That ticket also scooped $1 million. Cherryville resident, William Anthony claimed the prize last Friday. He was accompanied by Evans Anthony, of Shelby, who took a 50% share of the win.

TAS Drug manager, Stephanie Greene said: "It's pretty unusual for one store in the same town to sell two $1 million winning tickets. Everybody in town should buy their tickets from us. We’re the lucky store."

Zalene Brant sold the winning ticket just before the pharmacy closed for the day at 6pm. On hearing she'd sold a winning ticket Brant said she'd always expected to sell a big winner some day because those sort of things just happen to her.

Speaking on Friday, she said: "I'm glad that I made somebody’s day. I hope it's somebody who deserves it and really needs the money."

Big Prizes Galore!

There are plenty of big prizes up for grabs this week so lottery players are spoiled for choice.

Tuesday night's EuroMillions drawing offers an estimated jackpot of €32 million. That’s a generous dose of moolah that could make someone feel very good indeed, but the week starts with the EuroMillions top prize sitting in the shadow of the big-money prize available for Friday's EuroJackpot drawing—it's €40 million!

The EuroMillions top prize may be overshadowed by the EuroJackpot at the moment, but if the Jackpot rolls over on Tuesday night by the time Friday comes around it may match or even beat the EuroJackpot. Either way, both games offer incredible prizes.

Tuesday night is also US Mega Millions night and Mega Millions players have a tempting $35 million jackpot to play for.  The game offers nine levels of prizes and the overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 5. But if the Mega Millions prize is big, the US Powerball prize is bigger. The next drawing is on Wednesday night and has an estimated jackpot of $60 million.

California Lottery Winner keeps it "Low Key"

In an announcement made on Saturday the California Lottery said a winning ticket worth $600,000 was purchased in Alameda.

Lottery officials said the prize was won by Chris Northcott, who stated he was grateful for the prize, but intends to remain "low key" about his intentions for the money.

Northcott's Quick Pick ticket matched five of the six numbers drawn in the US Powerball drawing held on Friday, October 31, 2014. He was one of two players who successfully matched all five main numbers, but failed to get the Powerball number necessary to scoop the $284 million jackpot.

The US Powerball is a multi-state draw that offers a minimum jackpot of $40 million. Numbers are drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 (EST). The next drawing is on Wednesday, November 19, 2014. The estimated jackpot is $60 million.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Rush Hour Traffic Causes a Canadian Landscaper to Make a Fast Million

A landscaper from Ontario, Canada has raked in a big win with an "Instant $100 Million$ Fortune" scratch-off ticket.

Nigel Allen, 52, purchased his ticket from a Kipling Husky gas station in Vaughan while he was killing time waiting for the morning rush hour to subside. It proved to a profitable investment for the lucky landscaper because when he scratched away the ticket's top surface he discovered he'd won CAD$ 1 million.

"I saw the numbers. I couldn’t believe it!" Allen recalled. "I went into the store to have the ticket validated. The woman in line behind me was even more excited than I was."

Speaking of his plans for the money, Allen said he would probably pay off his mortgage and do a little travelling.

"This is just going to make everything nice and easy for my sons, my wife and myself," he said.

EuroMillions Winner Returns to the UK

After eight months of world travel, EuroMillions winner, Matt Myles, 27, has finally returned home to the UK.

Matt won £1 Million in the EuroMillions Raffle on April 8 this year. At the time he was employed by the Cargill Meat Factory in Hereford and had stayed up late on the night of draw to prepare himself for an upcoming night shift.

Matt never thought to check his ticket until 2am on Wednesday morning. He saw straight away that he had not won anything in the main draw, but got the surprise of his life when he noticed he'd won the EuroMillions raffle.

The EuroMillions Raffle is a free raffle UK EuroMillions players are automatically entered into whenever they purchase a EuroMillions ticket. Raffle winners receive a fixed-sum prize of £1 million.

Within three days the young engineer had quit his job and was jetting off on a world tour, taking his brother and a few friends with him.

Matt has blown £80,000 since then, but has had the time of his life.

"I've had quite a year," Matt said when he returned to the UK two weeks ago.

Matt began his world tour with a visit to the island paradise of Bali. Other destinations included, Thailand, Italy, and Brazil, but he lost his heart to New York City.

"New York is the best place I’ve ever been," he says. "It really is the place that doesn’t sleep."

As for his plans for the future, the young man says it’s time to settle down.

"I had to come home a month early to buy my first house," he said. “I had to sign stuff and be a proper grown up!"

Fifty-Fifty Split for US Powerball Winners, but are they Related?

Two US Powerball players from North Carolina, who share the same last name, have claimed a $1 million prize and shared that as well. But it is not known if the winners are related because they told North Carolina Education Lottery officials they wanted as little media attention as possible.

In compliance with the winners' wishes the state lottery has released only the information that is required by the state's public record laws.

William Anthony, of Cherryville, and Evans Anthony, of Shelby, matched all five main numbers, but not the Powerball in the drawing held on Saturday, November 8, 2014. They picked up their checks on Friday.  After the necessary deductions for taxes, each of them walked away with a $346,002 share of the prize.

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).

Saturday, November 15, 2014

UK Lotto Results for Saturday, November 15, 2014

Saturday's UK National Lottery Lotto drawing offered a jackpot of £3.8 million. That's a tempting prize, but there were no winning tickets so a weekend rollover has pumped up the pot to offer players an even more enticing prize on Wednesday night.

The biggest winners on Saturday night were the three lucky players who won second tier prizes of £310,053 for matching five main numbers and the bonus ball.

There were 270 third tier winners. Each ticket-holder will receive £975 for matching five main numbers.

A further £8,418,670 was distributed in smaller prizes to lower tier winners.

The winning UK Lotto numbers  drawn on Saturday, November 15, 2014, were 5, 26, 28, 30, 42, and 44. The bonus number was 40.

UK Lotto drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The next drawing is on Wednesday, November 19, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £5.3 million.

Kansas Man Bags $1 Million While Visiting Missouri

In a statement released on Thursday, the Missouri Lottery said a man from Kansas won a $1 million prize while visiting a friend in Missouri.

Thirty-two-year-old Gilberto Andrade was visiting Christina Aguilar in O'Fallon, Missouri, on October 30, when they decided to take a trip to the neighboring town of St. Peters. While they were in town they popped into a Schnucks supermarket and purchased a few lottery tickets.

Andrade opted for one of the Missouri Lottery's "$1,000,000 Platinum Payout" scratch-off tickets, but didn't get around to scratching off the tickets top coating until later that night after he'd returned to Garden City, Kansas.

On November 5 Andrade made the 580 mile trip to visit his friend again, but instead of visiting St. Peters they visited the Missouri Lottery, where Andrade split the prize with Aguilar. They each received a lump-sum payment of $350,000, before taxes.

Simi Valley Couple Claims SuperLotto Plus Jackpot

A couple from Simi Valley, California, has stepped forward to claim last month's $13 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot.

According to a recent press release, Chris and Sharon Padavick visited the California Lottery's Van Nuys district office on Monday, November 3, and opted to take their prize as a one-off, lump-sum payment of $8.4 million, before taxes.

The couple won their life-changing prize when their ticket matched all five of the main numbers drawn, plus the Powerball, in the California SuperLotto Plus drawing held on Saturday, October 18, 2014, but when Chris received a text alert from the lottery he paid it no heed.

"I ignored the first one," Chris admitted. "I deleted it."

Next to come was an email alert that stated the name of the store that sold the winning ticket. Chris took the email more seriously and asked Sharon to check the ticket. She did so at once, but when she went online and saw all the numbers line up it was hard for her to keep her composure.

"I started shaking more and more," Sharon recalled. "It actually took a few days to process it all. It felt surreal—out-of-body."

Chris and Sharon kept a tight lid on the news and took advice from an attorney before they began letting their nearest and dearest in on their secret.

"We’re very conservative in our whole process," Chris said. "We started lining up our ducks on how much to invest, play with, getting ahold of an accountant and all of that."

When asked what plans they'd made for the money the couple said they intend to pay off bills, clear their children's student loans, and lay some money aside for retirement.

Friday, November 14, 2014

EuroMillions Results for Friday, November 14, 2014

No tickets matched the five winning numbers and two Lucky stars required to bag Friday's EuroMillions jackpot, but three tickets secured €515,956 for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star. A second Lucky Star would have bagged the €25,319,129 (£20,235,047) top prize, but Lady Luck was not feeling generous so the big-money prize has been saved for another day.

Two ticket-holders failed to get any Lucky Stars, but were awarded third tier prizes of €257,978 for matching five main numbers.

Sixty-eight players won €3,793 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 2,288,135 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Friday, November 14, 2014, were 17, 32, 36, 38, and 48. The two Lucky Stars were 5 and 8.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Tuesday, November 18, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €32 million (£25 million).

Lotto Millionaire has no Plans to Retire

A former steeplejack from Nottingham, England, bagged a UK National Lottery jackpot four years ago, but continues to work because he believes a life of ease would bore him.

Mr. Westbury won his £7.7 million prize in 2010, but in an interview with the Nottingham Post, earlier this week, the 68-year-old admitted he still keeps a tight grip on the purse strings and said he has no intention of quitting his job as a lightning protection consultant.

"When I tried to retire for one day, I was bored—and that was just one day," Westbury said. "By midday I was tired but I hadn't done anything. I just can't see myself ever finishing work."

Thinking back though, Westbury had to admit his big win couldn't have come at a better time. He was co-owner of a lightning protection company and the business was struggling.

"Before I won, I jokingly said to my accounts manager that we would have to win the lottery; then low and behold we did!" Westbury said.

The business employed over 20 people, and Westbury was determined to protect their jobs, so he put £800,000 of his winnings into the company to help keep it afloat.

"I wanted to use some of the money to look after their jobs. They stood by me through hard times, so I thought I would stand by them," Westbury explained.

Although retirement was never on the cards, Westbury did splash out on a few luxuries such as holidays and cars, and even purchased an eight-bedroom mansion, but soon downsized to a four bedroom house because he and his wife Susan found the mansion "too big".

Mr. Westbury and his wife were among 15 lottery-winning couples who met up at Holme Pierrepont Country Park on Wednesday to celebrate 20 years of the National Lottery.

Irish EuroMillions Winners Opt to Remain Anonymous

Someone from the town of Bailieboro in County Cavan, Ireland, scooped a €186,684 EuroMillions prize on Tuesday night and it caused quite a stir in the local community. Everyone wanted to know who'd bagged the prize and speculation was rife.

The National Lottery Ireland has confirmed the prize was claimed on Thursday, but the speculation will have to continue because the couple who won the prize has opted to remain anonymous.

In a statement released by the lottery one of the winners said: "When will I wake up from this dream?"

When asked about their intentions for the money, the lucky winners agreed they would need to take some time to think it through before making any plans.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Lotto Winner Recalls his Journey from Rags to Riches and Back to Rags

British Lottery Winner, Lee Ryan, recounted his rags to riches—and back to rags—story earlier this week.

Ryan bagged the UK National Lottery jackpot in March 1995 and became one of the country's first Lottery millionaires. At the time he was awaiting trial for handling stolen vehicles and, when he was subsequently given an 18-month prison sentence, he had the dubious honor of becoming the country's first lottery millionaire to end up behind bars.

Thinking back, Ryan described himself as "a monster" and said his £6.5 million win had come at just the right time because he'd been in the final stages of planning an armed robbery.

Ryan was released after serving just nine months of his sentence and, keen to pursue an extravagant lifestyle, he burned through his finances at record speed. He bought a £1 million mansion, a fleet of expensive cars and superbikes—even a helicopter. Then in 2010, after a string of failed business ventures, and with two failed relationships behind him, Ryan was broke. He spent the next two years of his life sleeping rough.

"I travelled all over the country," Ryan recalled. "I bumped into what I call 'living angels'—where I am not asking anybody for anything and someone turns up saying, 'Are you all right, mate?'"

All that's behind him now. The former winner is presently living in a rented flat in South London, and surviving on less than £10,000 a year, but he is not bitter about all the money he lost. If he hadn't won he believes the level of his crimes would have escalated.

"The win saved me from that fate—and someone else from being my victim," he said.

EuroMillions Win Brings Some Buzz to Bailieboro

The town of Bailieboro in Ireland was buzzing with excitement yesterday as the townsfolk speculated on the identity of its latest EuroMillions winner. Someone had walked into Harris's SuperValu and purchased a ticket that won €186,684 in the Tuesday night drawing.

Speaking to the Anglo-Celt, SuperValu proprietor Lorraine Harris said it was the first time the store had sold a big winner in a long time. The last time was six years ago when a lucky punter bagged a €3.6 million prize.

"There is a great buzz in the shop at the moment," Harris said. "It is a lovely win and with the times that are in it—this amount of money is a bonus to anyone," she said.

As of the Wednesday evening, the National Lottery Ireland was still waiting for the mystery winner to come forward and stake their claim.

Two Lucky Ladies Get Some Lucky Money Courtesy of the Florida Lottery

In a recent announcement the Florida Lottery said two women from Naples have claimed "Lucky Money" jackpots.

Forty-four-year-old Bettina Toledo claimed the $1.1 million jackpot from last Friday's drawing and 59-year-old Elizabeth Lipscomb has claimed the $850,000 jackpot from the drawing held on October 24.

Toledo chose to take her prize as a one-off lump-sum payment of $806,309.19.

Liscomb also chose to take her prize as a lump-sum and walked out of the Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee with a check for of $629,666.28.

Meanwhile the Florida Lotto jackpot continues to grow. The next drawing is on Wednesday, November 12. The estimated jackpot is $45 million.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

UK Lotto Results for Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Three tickets matched the six winning numbers in the Wednesday night UK National Lottery Lotto drawing, so the £1.7 million jackpot will be split three ways. Each ticket-holder will receive £569,684.

The UK Lotto numbers drawn on Wednesday, November 12, 2014, were 5, 9, 10, 13, 41, and 44. The bonus number was 39.

Two players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £68,207, and 144 players won £804 for matching five numbers. A further £4,617,056 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, November 15, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £4.1 million.

Lottery Refuses to Say Why Powerball Machine Failed

The fault that prevented a New Zealand Powerball machine from ejecting a winning ball during a live broadcast last month has been identified, but the New Zealand Lotteries Commission will not say what the problem was.

The incident occurred on Saturday, October 25, and the machine's failure to spit out the ball during the NZD$ 9 million drawing meant a second drawing had to be conducted off air under the supervision of Audit New Zealand.

Such failures are rare. The lottery has been conducting drawings for 27 years and last month's incident was only the sixth time a technical problem has spoiled a televised drawing.

The lottery is now working with, machine manufacturers, Ryo Catteau, to correct the fault on the NZD$ 40,000 machine.

The New Zealand Lottery has two machines at its disposal. Both of them are named after flowers (stresa and mimosa) and the chosen machine is selected at random, on the night of the draw, under the close supervision of Lotto, Audit NZ and Internal Affairs representatives.

There are two sets of balls available for each machine and the set used is also the result of a random selection process.

Lotto spokeswoman Emilia Mazur would not comment on the nature of the fault but confirmed the failed Mimosa machine was tested and found to be in perfect working order just before the live drawing took place.

New Zealand Powerball drawings are held once each week on Saturdays. The next drawing is on Saturday, November 15, 2014. The estimated jackpot is NZD$ 15 million.

Navy Veteran's $10 Million Cash Bonanza

A Navy veteran from Illinois scratched his way to lottery victory last week with an Illinois Lottery "$10 Million Cash Bonanza" scratch-off ticket.

Gary Barry, a former US Navy yeoman, scratched off his ticket at home, sitting in his chair in front of the TV, and bagged the game's $10 million top prize.

But winning such a big prize was so out of the blue it took some time to sink in.

"I must have stared at that ticket for an hour," Barry said. "I never, ever expected to win a prize like this."

When asked about his plans for the money, Barry said he intends to seek professional advice.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

EuroMillions Results for Tuesday, November 11, 2014

The €15 million (£11.6 million) EuroMillions jackpot proved to be evasive on Tuesday night so a rollover has pumped up the pot and given players a bigger prize to play for later in the week.

The Tuesday night draw also failed to produce any second tier wins. The biggest winners were the seven ticket-holders who matched five numbers and bagged third tier prizes of €186,683.

Thirty-four ticket-holders secured €4,804 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars.

A further 1,463,208 ticket-holders players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, were 2, 14, 21, 36, and 46. The two Lucky Stars were 7 and 11.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Friday, November 14, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €24 million (£19 million).

Activity Centre for the Disabled Lands Big Lottery Funding

An adventure center in North Yorkshire, England, has been awarded a £9,300 grant from the Big Lottery Fund's Awards for All Program.

Carlton Lodge Activity Centre, in Carlton Miniott, provides life-enhancing activities for people with disabilities, but a lack of specialist equipment limited the amount of benefit some young people were able to derive from the center so it launched a bid for lottery assistance.

The center, which first opened its doors in 1970, provides a range of indoor and outdoor activities designed to boost the confidence and help develop team-working abilities.

The need for specialist equipment first became apparent earlier this year when a school brought along a couple of wheelchair users whose restrictions made them unable to take part in certain activities.

The center will now be able to purchase an off-road wheelchair that will allow less mobile visitors to take better advantage of their visits.

The funding will also enable the purchase of climbing harnesses and a mobile hoist that will help disabled visitors into kayaks and canoes.

A center spokesperson said: "We are delighted and very excited by the award as we have always sought to be fully inclusive and this will further enable us to ensure that disabled young people within a school or youth group gain the same benefit from all our activities as their peers."

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

US Powerball jackpot Reset for Wednesday's Drawing

A lottery player in St. Louis, Missouri, made a profitable investment last week when they purchased a ticket for Saturday's US Powerball drawing. The lucky player bagged the entire $203 million jackpot.

The US Powerball numbers drawn on Saturday, November 8, 2014, were 9, 19, 33, 38, and 54. The Powerball number was 15.

As of Monday the Missouri Lottery was still waiting of the lucky winner to come forward.

The winning ticket was purchased from a newsstand in downtown St. Louis. The owner will receive a $50,000 retailer's bonus for selling a 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 Wednesday, November 12, 2014. The estimated jackpot is $40 million.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Buying an Extra Ticket Proved to be a Winning Decision for Illinois Lottery Player

A woman from Medora, Illinois, who made a spontaneous decision to purchase an extra US Mega Millions ticket, picked up $1 million check last week.

Cindy Thurm is regular Mega Millions player, but she usually only buys a single $1 Quick Pick ticket. When she went to purchase a ticket for the Tuesday, October 7, 2014, drawing Thurm felt and impulsion to take an extra bite at the cherry and purchased a second Quick Pick.

"On a whim, for no particular reason, I bought another one. I can't believe I won a million dollars with that ticket," Thurm told Illinois Lottery officials on Friday as they presented her with a large ceremonial check.

Thurm's second Quick Pick matched all five of the Mega Millions numbers drawn of October 7, but failed to match the Mega Ball. If she'd managed to match the Mega Ball as well she would have scooped the $136 million jackpot.

She discovered she'd hit it lucky the day after the draw, during a telephone conversation with her daughter who lives in Texas.

Thurm's daughter mentioned she'd seen a Facebook posting about a Medora gas station that had sold a $1 million-winning ticket.

"My daughter called to ask if I had checked my ticket and then she read the winning numbers to me," Thurm explained. "When I checked my second ticket and saw that it matched five numbers, I started screaming into the phone—and into her ear."

When asked about her plans for the money, Thurm said she intends to pay off her mortgage and make some investments.

Mega Millions is the biggest jackpot game in America. Jackpots start at $15 million and other prizes ranging from $1 to a cool $1 million! Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 23:00 (ET). The next drawing is on Tuesday, November 11, 2014. The Estimated jackpot is $20 million.

Massachusetts Woman has Little to Say about her Big Win

Roseline Viera from New Bedford, Massachusetts, claimed a $1 million prize last week. She was unusually tight lipped about her plans for the money, but said her husband bought the winning scratch-off ticket.

The "$250,000,000 Holiday Gifts," scratcher was purchased from the Quick Pic convenience store on Sawyer Street, New Bedford. The store will receive a $10,000 retailer's bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Massachusetts State Lottery spokesman Christian Teja said around 1,500 people in Massachusetts claim prizes of $1 million or more each year.

According to Teja, players who win $1 million and take the cash option get a one-time payment of $650,000, minus 30% taxes. Players who choose the annuity option receive 20 annual payments of $50,000, before taxes.

Hoosier Lotto Player Claims $2 Million Jackpot

A woman from Frankfort, Indiana, has claimed the $2 million Hoosier Lotto jackpot form the drawing held on Wednesday, October 22, 2014.

Speaking to staff at the Hoosier Lottery headquarters in Indianapolis, Lisa Jennings recalled the moment she realized she'd purchased the winning ticket.

"I ran the gamut of emotions," Jennings admitted. "I went from elation to thinking 'I'm going to be sick,' to fear, to 'what do I do now?' Then disbelief set in."

Jennings, who works in manufacturing operations, opted to take her prize as a one-off, lump-sum payment of approximately $808,000 before taxes.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

MPs in Bradford Call for an End to "Rip-off" Allocations of National Lottery Funds

Members of Parliament from Bradford, England, have demanded an end to the UK National Lottery "rip-off" tactics that short change the funding made available for arts projects in Bradford and other areas of the UK and funnel huge amounts of cash to London-based projects.

Speaking on Wednesday, MPS urged the British Government to change the rules and ensure the rest of the UK got a fair share of the funds generated by the National Lottery.

A study examined by the Commons culture select committee revealed 20% (£34.6 million) of the money generated by ticket sales in Bradford was allocated for the arts, but only £18.7 million was reinvested in arts projects in the Bradford area.

The case is very different in London however. Four boroughs have surpluses that top £100 million. Westminster alone boasts a surplus of £393.7 million.

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe, who assisted with the inquiry, said it was time to end the "rip off".

Bradford East Liberal Democrat MP David Ward said he would be contacting the lottery and asking for a justification of funding decisions that cause people in the north to feel like they have lost out.

Shipley MP Philip Davies was equally unhappy.

"For the long-term viability of the lottery it clearly needs to be more closely matched otherwise it will lose its legitimacy," Davies said.

Colorado Lottery Upgrades its System

The Colorado Lottery has been carrying out some upgrades and will be using the new system and equipment for the first time on Sunday, November 9. The lottery is not expecting any interruptions, but warns players there may be temporary slowdowns and suggests winners wait a few days before claiming their prizes to avoid potential lines at retailers.

Lottery Director Laura Solano said: "Our retailers and our customers are important to us and we appreciate their patience during this conversion process. We are 100 percent confident in the new system's ability to issue and redeem tickets and we expect that players will enjoy an easier and more rewarding game experience than ever before."

Emigration Plans Put on Hold Thanks to Lottery Win

A builder from County Derry, Ireland, who bagged a €500,000 EuroMillions Plus prize on Tuesday, said he'd been intending to leave the Emerald Isle in search of pastures new, but would now be revising his plans.

"Things aren’t good if you are a builder in Kerry," the winner said. "I'd been planning to emigrate to make a better life for myself…. now I don’t need to."

He has opted to remain anonymous, but the National Lottery Ireland says he won on a €6 Quick Pick ticket he purchased at a Spar store in Tralee on the day of the draw.

EuroMillions Plus is a game played in Ireland. It gives players the opportunity to win additional prizes from their EuroMillions numbers.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

UK Lotto Results for Saturday, November 8, 2014

Two tickets matched the six winning numbers in Saturday's UK National Lottery Lotto drawing, so the £3.3 million jackpot will be split two ways. Each ticket-holder will receive £1,663,502.

The winning UK Lotto numbers drawn on Saturday, November 8, 2014, were 6, 7, 22, 27, 35, and 42. The bonus number was 1.

Six players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £44,259, and 310 players won £727 for matching five numbers. A further £8,972,205 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, November 12. The estimated jackpot is £2.1 million.

Canadian Man Fails to Prove Allegations of Lottery Ticket Theft

A former councillor from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, who filed a lawsuit stating the son of his former common-law-wife stole his winning lottery ticket, has failed to convince the courts this was the case.

Franz Prokop claimed he purchased the ticket that won the CAD$ 3.6 million jackpot in the Canada Lotto 649 drawing on August 15, 2007.

At the time Prokop was living with Angelika Dushop. Prokop claims her son Peter Dushop had access to their home and stole the ticket. According to Prokop, Dushop then waited a year before claiming the prize.

Fervently denying the accusations, Dushop claimed he bought the ticket himself.

On Wednesday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Crawford ruled that Peter Dushop had picked the winning numbers. It later emerged Angelika Dushop had purchased the ticket for him using her visa card and Prokop had paid the visa card bill.

However, the judge stated he did not accept much of the evidence put forward by the defence.

"I was not impressed with the semantic dance over the purchase of the lottery ticket,” Crawford said, pointing out Peter Dushop told lottery officials he'd purchased the ticket himself when this was not the case.

The ticket was apparently kept in a safety deposit box for 11 months because Angelika Dushop was worried Prokop would want a share of the money if he discovered the ticket was purchased with her card and he'd paid the bill.

Crawford pointed out Prokop's allegation required him to prove he was the rightful owner of the ticket and that Peter Dushop had stolen it.

"The plaintiff has failed to establish both of these facts and accordingly the plaintiff’s claim must fail," Crawford said.

Portuguese EuroMillions Winner Claims €190 million Prize

On Friday, October 24, 2014, someone in Portugal scooped the mammoth €190 million (£149.7 million) EuroMillions jackpot. A week passed and nobody claimed the prize, causing a great deal of speculation about the winner's identity.

The Portuguese lottery organizer (Gambling Department of Santa Casa da Misericordia) stated the winning ticket was purchased from a newsagent in the Castelo Branco area, 220 km northeast of Lisbon. Nothing else was known.

The Santa Casa da Misericordia has now confirmed the winner has come forward and claimed the prize, but the speculation will have to continue because he or she has opted to remain anonymous.

Friday, November 7, 2014

EuroMillions Results for Friday, November 07, 2014

Two tickets matched the five winning numbers and two Lucky stars in the Friday night EuroMillions drawing, so the €33 million (£25.8 million) jackpot will be split two ways.

Three players won second tier prizes of €540,288 for matching five main numbers.

Thirteen players lucked out on Lucky Stars, but will be able to claim third tier prizes of €41,560, for matching five main numbers.

Forty-three players won €6,282, for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars, and a further 2,449,157 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Friday, November 7, 2014, were 13, 25, 32, 38, and 46. The two Lucky Stars were 1 and 10.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Tuesday, November 11, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €15 million (£11 million).

Questions Arise About Chinese Welfare Lottery Fund Allocations

Reports from the Xinhua news agency state China's Welfare Lottery has come under scrutiny of late and many people believe details about the allocation of funds to the welfare sector is too vague.

The Welfare Lottery is so named because it is supposed to generate funds for public welfare. Since the lottery's launch in 1987 its products have generated around USD$ 284 billion, with USD$ 85 billion supposedly being awarded to welfare projects.

Xinhua's report accuses the lottery of keeping murky records and ensuring the public is kept in the dark about how the money is spent.

Media reports also reveal lottery issuance agencies in a number of provinces may have used lottery funds to pay for the building of luxurious office blocks, hotels, and training centers.  The money used is believed to have been taken from the 15% issuance fee from the total sale amount. Last year's issuance fees totaled around USD$ 7.4 billion.

The Institute of Sociology, Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, recommend the lottery be more up-front about how funds are allocated, stating this may alleviate public concerns. The institute also suggests the issuance fee be revised.

Concerns have also been raised about the identities of big winners, who always pick up their prizes wearing face-covering costumes.

In October a big winner claimed their prize wearing a bear costume.

"We are told very little about the winners and how the total funds are allocated; we really have a lot of questions," a lottery player said.

"There's always someone who becomes the sole winner of a grand prize. There must be something going on behind the scenes," another player pointed out.

Lottery issuance center staff insist revealing the identity of winners would be a breach of the regulations.

Arizona Lottery Still Waiting for Pick Winner to Pick up their Prize

The Arizona Lottery is still hanging on to a $3 million check because nobody has come forward to claim it.

Last month someone in Phoenix purchased a ticket for the Arizona Pick drawing on Saturday, October 18. That ticket matched all six of the winning numbers and bagged the jackpot, but as of November 6, the lottery is still waiting for the winner to present their ticket.

The ticket bears the numbers 5, 11, 12, 25, 37, and 41.

A Lottery spokesperson said: "The Arizona Lottery would like to remind players to check their tickets. We look forward to meeting the lucky player who holds the winning ticket for Arizona's own jackpot game."

Thursday, November 6, 2014

County Leitrim Couple Claim €7.1 Million Irish Lotto Jackpot

A couple from County Leitrim visited the National Lottery Ireland's headquarters in Dublin on Wednesday and picked up a check for €7,120,595.

The lucky couple, who have chosen to remain anonymous, won their life changing prize on Saturday, October 25, 2014, when their ticket matched all six winning numbers.

They told lottery staff they'd been playing the same numbers for a few years and said when they heard their numbers read out in October they recognized them straight away. The only problem was they couldn’t remember purchasing a ticket.

"We recognized the numbers as soon as we heard them," the husband said. "But were we sure we’d won? Nope! We weren’t certain we had a ticket for that draw."

Fortunately they had purchased a ticket and quickly located it.

"There was a bit of a scramble but all’s well that ends well and here we are today in National Lottery HQ as millionaires," the husband chuckled.

The winning ticket was purchased from the Tesco supermarket on the old Dublin Road in Carrick-on-Shannon. The store has never sold a jackpot-winning ticket before so store manager, Liam Melody, was thrilled when he heard the news.

"There has been huge excitement all day," Melody said. "It has been the talk of the shop."

Speaking about the identity of the mystery winners, Melody admitted the staff at the store are as much in the dark as the rest of the country.

"There has been lots of craic [fun] and banter. We are hoping it is a local family but we don’t know," he said. "We may never know. We are just very excited to have sold the winning ticket and we wish that person all the best for the future."

Rags to Riches for Danish Lottery Winner

A 37-year-old man from Denmark, who had been living on the streets for 6 months, has bagged 3.6 million Danish kroner ($605,000) with a scratch-off ticket he purchased from a supermarket in Korsor.

Speaking of his rags to riches experience, the jubilant winner told lottery staff: "It is really weird and I can't believe it, but I went to the bank and they confirmed it. It is very strange, but it is a lovely experience."

The winner will receive around $10,000 each month for the next 60 months. He has opted to remain anonymous.

New Yorker Bags Tuesday's Mammoth Mega Millions Jackpot

A New York Lottery player bagged the incredible $321 million US Mega Millions Jackpot on Tuesday night, so the jackpot has been reset for the next drawing.

The lucky player, who has yet to come forward, is the first person to correctly match all five main numbers and the Mega Ball since the August 22, 2014.

Five other players came close to sharing the prize, but without the Mega Ball number their five numbers only secured $1 million prizes. That's still a lot of money, but what a difference the Mega Ball would have made.

The Mega Millions draws again on Friday, November 7, 2014, and has an estimated jackpot of £15 million.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

UK Lotto Results for Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Wednesday's £2.1 million UK Lotto jackpot has been scooped by one lucky player or syndicate.

The UK National Lottery Lotto numbers drawn on Wednesday, November 5, 2014, were 2, 5, 21, 25, 34, and 36. The bonus number was 28.

Only one ticket matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball so the ticket holder bagged the entire £169,863 second tier prize fund.

Down in the third tier, the Wednesday night drawing produced 115 winners. Each ticket-holder will receive £1,254 for matching five main numbers.

A further £4,169,445 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, November 8, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £4.1 million.

Clairvoyant's Prediction Came True for Australian Lotto Winner

A cash-strapped single dad from Australia, who was recently told by a clairvoyant his money worries would soon come to an end, proved the prediction right at the weekend when he bagged a AUD$ 1.5 million prize in Saturday's Australia Lotto drawing.

The lucky Melbourne man, who admitted his bank account contained on eight cents, was one of several players who secured a share of the AUD$ 21 million "Superdraw" prize when his ticket matched all six of the main numbers drawn.

Speaking of the clairvoyant's prediction, the father of two said, "Winning TattsLotto will certainly do the trick. I think my win must have been written in the stars."

Australian Lottery organizers TattsLotto, has not released the winner's name, but state the winning ticket was purchased from the Holmesglen Newsagency in Chadstone.

"I had eight cents in the bank and now I’ll have $1,500,000.08," the winner said, but admitted he had to check his ticket 10 times before he could accept the fact that he'd won such a big prize.

When asked about his plans for the money, the new millionaire said he intends to use the money to help his family and will be making some investments for his children's future.

The Saturday night Australia Lotto drawing proved to be a life-changing event for13 other players, who shared the jackpot with the Melbourne winner.

One fellow winner, from Preston, Western Australia, may not have had his win predicted, but he said he'd been dreaming of a big win for over 40 years. Those dreams have now become a reality and his had promised to share his lotto windfall with his family.

Camelot Says Profits are up Despite a Drop in Ticket Sales

Sales of UK National Lottery tickets have fallen in the last year, but lottery organizers, Camelot UK, still report a 6% increase in profits.

Camelot attributes the increased profits to a reduction in operational expenses.

Senior management at Camelot has stated the dwindling ticket sales are due to a lack of rollover weekends and a decline in sales of EuroMillions tickets.

Interest in the draw games may be on the slide, but sales of scratchcard and instant win games are up by 3.8%.

Speaking of the increased interest in non-draw type games, Camelot's Chief Executive Designate Andy Duncan said: "We're determined to build on this momentum. We've just successfully launched a major new online and mobile platform, which is transforming the way players interact with our games across all devices. On top of that, we've got really exciting plans for the second half of the year."

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

EuroMillions Results for Tuesday, November 04, 2014

The Tuesday night EuroMillions drawing resulted in a second rollover. The biggest winners were the six lucky players won second tier prizes of €180,167 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 €22.2 million (£17.4 million) Jackpot.

Eleven players failed to get any Lucky Stars, but secured third tier prizes of €32,757 for matching five main numbers.

Ninety-eight players won €1,838 for matching four main numbers and two Lucky Stars.

A further 2,081,773 EuroMillions players were awarded smaller prizes from the lower tiers.

The EuroMillions numbers drawn on Tuesday, November 04, 2014, were 1, 6, 13, 17, and 26. The two Lucky Stars were 3 and 5.

The next EuroMillions drawing is on Friday, November 7, 2014. The estimated jackpot is €32 million (£25 million).

Powerball Player finds $1 Million Ticket Inside his Car

In a recent announcement the Georgia Lottery confirmed a man from Savannah has claimed a $1 million prize from the July 9, 2014 US Powerball drawing.

Registered nurse, David Bramble, 42, came forward on October 21, and admitted to lottery staff the winning ticket had spent over three months laying forgotten inside his car.

"I had these tickets that were sitting in my car," Bramble said.

Once the tickets had finally caught his eye, Brambles took them into a grocery store and began checking to see if any of them were winners. One of them was and when Brambles saw how many zeroes were involved it was an overwhelming experience for the father of four.

"I thought that I must've won a chunk of change. I didn't know that it was that much change," Bramble said. "I lost my composure for a couple of minutes in the store."

Brambles won his life-changing prize on a Quick Pick ticket purchased from Publix Super Market on Abercorn Street in Savannah.  It matched all five of the main numbers drawn on July 9, but not the Powerball. If he'd matched the Powerball as well he would have taken a half share of the $122 million jackpot.

The Georgia Lottery presented Brambles with his check last Wednesday. He and his wife Tanyka have no definite plans for the money.

The US Powerball is a multi-state draw that offers a minimum jackpot of $40 million. Numbers are drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 (EST). The next drawing is on Wednesday, November 5, 2014. The estimated jackpot is $178 million.

Massive US Mega Millions Jackpot up for Grabs on Tuesday Night

The US Mega Millions game is certainly living up to its name at the moment. There's an incredible $321 million in the pot, so if someone does manage to match the five main numbers and the Mega Ball some serious celebrations are going to be in order.

The jackpot's been evading players for quite some time now. It hasn't been won since Friday, August 22, 2014, when one lucky player bagged $180 million. That’s a huge amount of money, but the present pot just about doubles it.

Over in Europe, the EuorMillions game also has a Tuesday night drawing. The present estimated jackpot is €21 million ($26.2 million). It doesn’t compare well with the present Mega Millions Jackpot, but it's still a big prize that could change someone's life forever.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Worthless Scratcher Turns California Man into a Millionaire

A California Lottery player turned a losing ticket into a winning ticket when he entered a worthless scratcher into the Lottery's 2nd Chance Program

Alexander Nguyen's losing ticket bagged him a $3.75 million prize last week and lottery officials say the lucky winner is planning to whisk his wife away on vacation so they can take some time to get their "heads straight" and decide on the best use for their lottery windfall.

To win a prize in the 2nd Chance Program players need to register with the California Lottery website and then submit the codes from their losing tickets. Players can submit up to 1,000 codes each month.

Missouri Woman Swindled out of her Lottery Winnings

Six years ago Marva Wilson, 65, won $2 million playing the Missouri Lottery. Now she's broke because someone she considered her friend stole her winnings and used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Wilson had her big win in 2008 and used some of the money to purchase a couple of houses—one for herself and one for her daughter. She also bought a car. Then in 2010 Wilson was befriended by Freya Pearson, 41, who quickly gained her trust, began offering her financial advice, and then swindled her out of $640,000.

"She was going in my account," Wilson said. "I didn't give her permission to do none of that."

Wilson had signed some papers at the bank and unknowingly given Pearson access to her bank account.

Last week a federal grand jury indicted Pearson for tax evasion, money laundering, and making a false statement.

According to the indictment, Pearson used the money to pay for an apartment in St. Louis, for gambling, and to fund her vacations.

"One time I called her and she was getting ready to board the plane to the Bahamas," Wilson said and went on to call her a "smart, slick, lying, educated crook."

Within months of their meeting Wilson discovered her bank account was overdrawn and she was forced to take out a reverse mortgage on her home.

There is little chance of her recovering any of the money.

Lottery Audit Raises Concerns in Massachusetts

An audit conducted on the Massachusetts State Lottery has raised concerns that the system used for scratch-off tickets may be vulnerable to abuse.

Released on Thursday, October 30, 2014, the audit reveals the lottery has failed to complete documentation necessary to confirm valid scratch-off tickets returned by terminated lottery retailers have been properly accounted for and destroyed.

The audit also suggests the lottery has not been taking sufficient measures to prevent retailers from scanning unsold tickets to check if they are winners.

Auditor Suzanne Bump pointed out the lottery had $4.73 billion in overall sales in the 2012 fiscal year and said it was critical for its integrity to be protected.

The lottery has already implemented changes to prevent the possibility of abuse.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Disabled Man Unable to Enjoy his Lotto Winnings

A UK National Lottery player who won a £20,000 prize feels he no longer has anything to celebrate because he has been told his win makes him ineligible for some his social security benefits.

Scotsman George Grant, 54, had a motorbike accident in 1980. The accident left him with mobility problems that prevent him from being able to work.

A former DJ and Youth Leader, Grant has been living on benefits ever since.

"That accident stopped everything in its tracks," he said.

Grant has been buying lottery tickets since they first went on sale 30 years ago, but never won a major prize until last month when his Lucky Dip ticket bagged him a £20,000 Raffle prize.

When he first learned of the win Grant decided to pay off some debts he owes to family members and hoped to be able to fund a trip to Nashville.

"I’ve always wanted to go to Nashville because of Geordie Jack and Colorado [the band]. Geordie was good to me after my accident," Grant explained.

His hopes were dashed when he visited the Highland Council service point and was told his windfall would result in a fall in benefits.

"I wish I'd never won this money, the hassle it has caused me. I won't be buying a ticket again," Grant said.

But there may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Richard Gale, manager of East Sutherland Citizens Advice Bureau, is hoping he may be able to help Grant get past all the red tape and find a way for him to make the trip after all.

Meanwhile, Grant remains disillusioned.

"I was never meant to have any money," he said.

Kroger Store Gives Away Lottery Bonus

A Kroger store in Abingdon, West Virginia (USA) recently received a $10,000 retailer's bonus for selling a $1 million winning ticket and donated it all to charitable causes.

The money was split four ways.  Communities in Schools of Southwest Virginia was given $5,000, Feeding America Southwest Virginia got $2,000, Cancer Outreach Research Foundation received a donation of $2,000, and American Legion Post 12 got $1,000.

A spokesman from Communities in Schools said their share of the money will be used to buy beds for children who do not have one.

"If a child is sleeping on the floor or coming to school cold or hungry, he is not really interested in learning. He is just in the mode of trying to survive," the spokesman said.

Speaking of the decision to give away their bonus, Abingdon Kroger store manager Carrie Sopsher said: "We wanted to spread the money around to local organizations that could really use a little extra revenue."

School Workers Win the Powerball

After a decade of playing, a lottery syndicate from Ohio has won a $1 million prize. The syndicate, which consists of 38 school workers, successfully matched the five main numbers, but failed to get the Powerball in the US Powerball drawing on Saturday, October 18, 2014.

Speaking to the Hamilton-Middletown Journal-News, Ross Local Schools Superintendent Greg Young spoke of his excitement when he heard learned of the win.

"They showed me the ticket and I just stared at it. I thought, ‘Oh no, this can't be real. Yes, it was real. And I was pretty excited," Young said.

Each member of the syndicate will receive around $18,000 after taxes.

The US Powerball is a multi-state draw that offers a minimum jackpot of $40 million. Numbers are drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:59 (EST). The next drawing is on Wednesday, November 5, 2014. The estimated jackpot is $178 million.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

UK Lotto Results for Saturday, November 01, 2014

Three tickets matched the six winning numbers in the UK National Lottery Lotto drawing on Saturday night; so the UK Lotto jackpot will be split three ways. Each ticket-holder will receive £2,950,302.

The winning UK Lotto numbers drawn on Saturday, November 1, 2014, were 3, 5, 9, 28, 35, and 47. The bonus number was 14.

Five players matched five winning numbers and the bonus ball to win second tier prizes of £60,525, and 414 players won £620 for matching five numbers. A further £10,475,339 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, November 5, 2014. The estimated jackpot is £2.1 million.

Hoosier Lottery Player Could be Jailed for Buying a Winning Ticket

A man from Winchester, Indiana, could be facing a jail sentence for buying a Hoosier Lottery ticket from the store where he worked.

According to Indiana state law it is illegal for lottery retailers or their employees to buy lottery tickets from their place of work, but Micky Stone, 36, purchased a ticket in June that bagged him a $900 prize.

Stone presented his ticket at the Hoosier Lottery's headquarters in Indianapolis on June 24, but the lottery got one of its investigators to look into the matter and check everything was above board.

Michael Bare discovered the winning "Diamond Mine" scratch-off ticket was purchased on June 6, from Hughes Pic-A-Pac, 226 W. Washington Street. According to Bare's report, at the time of the purchase Stone had been a store employee for about a year.

During an interview in July, Stone told Bare he purchased the ticket in the nearby town of Huntington.

"I reminded Stone that, when the lottery ships tickets to one of its 4,400 retailers, they are in an inactive or inert state," Bare wrote in his report. He then pointed out the ticket in question had been activated at the store where Stone worked, forcing him to admit the truth. Stone also admitted he knew his purchase was illegal.

Earlier this week Stone was charged with unlawful purchase of a lottery ticket by an employee. The offence carries a maximum prison sentence of one year.

According to Bare, if Stone returns his winning it may "influence" the lottery's decision to pursue the charges.

Powerball Win was an Ideal Birthday Present

A US Powerball player from Tipton, Iowa, came forward earlier this week to claim the $10,000 prize he won in January.  When asked about the long lapse of time between his win and his claiming the prize Kelly Glynn said he'd been leaving it until his birthday—he turned 48 on Friday.

Glynn is one of two Tipton Powerball winners who were late making their claim, but the other winner came forward in May after lottery chiefs organized a news conference urging players to check their old tickets.

"I just thought I'd save it until around my birthday," Glynn said. "I didn’t know if I'd want anything or need anything. I just thought it'd be a nice birthday present."

Glynn went to collect his "birthday present" on Wednesday and joked about all the signs announcing there was an unclaimed prize—especially the one in the convenience store where he purchased his winning ticket.

"I've been looking at the poster every time I go in there," he said. "They'll be able to finally take it down now."