Category: lottery

Back in February, 44 year old Nigel Page won £56 million playing the Euromillions jackpot lotto game. It was the third largest lottery win in British history.

Nigel Page was recently ordered by courts to pay £2m of his winnings to his ex wife, who left him for another man more than ten years ago. Wendy Page, 43, tried to get £8m from the jackpot winner, but settled out of court for a quarter of that amount.

Mr. Page offered to put the £2m into a trust fund for their 13 year old daughter, but the idea was shot down.

The legal president for the case is a rule called the ‘clean break’ clause. It says that says in a divorce situation where one person pays maintenance to the other, the other can ask for a lump sum of money and a clean break rather than taking ongoing payments. It is suspected that if the case went to court, Mr. Page would have been required to pay much less than £2m, but it seems he settled for the number to avoid the hassle of a legal battle.

Meanwhile, Nigel Page has re-married, moved into a £4million house with a private cinema and an indoor swimming pool, and is known to give regularly to local charities.

Back in February, 44 year old Nigel Page won £56 million playing the Euromillions jackpot lotto game. It was the third largest lottery win in British history.

Nigel Page was recently ordered by courts to pay £2m of his winnings to his ex wife, who left him for another man more than ten years ago. Wendy Page, 43, tried to get £8m from the jackpot winner, but settled out of court for a quarter of that amount.

Mr. Page offered to put the £2m into a trust fund for their 13 year old daughter, but the idea was shot down.

The legal president for the case is a rule called the ‘clean break’ clause. It says that says in a divorce situation where one person pays maintenance to the other, the other can ask for a lump sum of money and a clean break rather than taking ongoing payments. It is suspected that if the case went to court, Mr. Page would have been required to pay much less than £2m, but it seems he settled for the number to avoid the hassle of a legal battle.

Meanwhile, Nigel Page has re-married, moved into a £4million house with a private cinema and an indoor swimming pool, and is known to give regularly to local charities.

Tommy Faul of Cankton, Louisiana, recently turned 60. For his birthday, his sister-in-law sent him a card with a World Champions New Orleans Saints lottery scratch ticket stuck inside. The ticket was a winner, and now Faul is $100,000 richer.

Faul’s sister-in-law actually bought two of the $5 lotto tickets. She scratched on off herself, and put the other inside the birthday card.

“It feels unbelievable to win,” said Faul. “My wife kept saying ‘this can’t be true’ so we had our son take it to the convenience store to be sure it was true and it was.”

“I work three jobs because my wife is disabled. We plan to pay off her car and the house, and take care of my wife’s sister, too.”

News reports did not share the sister’s reaction to the news.

The tickets came from Butch’s Food Mart & Deli on Main Street in Arnaudville. The store just opened recently, so employees there were excited about the winning ticket.

Tommy Faul of Cankton, Louisiana, recently turned 60. For his birthday, his sister-in-law sent him a card with a World Champions New Orleans Saints lottery scratch ticket stuck inside. The ticket was a winner, and now Faul is $100,000 richer.

Faul’s sister-in-law actually bought two of the $5 lotto tickets. She scratched on off herself, and put the other inside the birthday card.

“It feels unbelievable to win,” said Faul. “My wife kept saying ‘this can’t be true’ so we had our son take it to the convenience store to be sure it was true and it was.”

“I work three jobs because my wife is disabled. We plan to pay off her car and the house, and take care of my wife’s sister, too.”

News reports did not share the sister’s reaction to the news.

The tickets came from Butch’s Food Mart & Deli on Main Street in Arnaudville. The store just opened recently, so employees there were excited about the winning ticket.

Pensioners Violet and Allen Large of Lower Truro, Nova Scotia won just over $11 million playing the Canadian lottery in July. The money is now gone.

It was a “big headache” said the couple, now in their 70s. They were living comfortably before the big win, but after becoming millionaires, they became concerned with being taken advantage of by “crooked people”.

The money has been donated to a list of charities more than two pages long. Beneficiaries included organizations that fight cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. The couple also gave to their local fire department, to churches and cemeteries in their area, and to the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

“That money that we won was nothing. We have each other,” said Allen. Violet was also positive about their good deeds: “There’s so much good being done with that money. We’re the lucky ones. I have no complaints.”

The couple kept about two percent of the winnings for themselves, and are not looking forward to doing their taxes this year.

Pensioners Violet and Allen Large of Lower Truro, Nova Scotia won just over $11 million playing the Canadian lottery in July. The money is now gone.

It was a “big headache” said the couple, now in their 70s. They were living comfortably before the big win, but after becoming millionaires, they became concerned with being taken advantage of by “crooked people”.

The money has been donated to a list of charities more than two pages long. Beneficiaries included organizations that fight cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. The couple also gave to their local fire department, to churches and cemeteries in their area, and to the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

“That money that we won was nothing. We have each other,” said Allen. Violet was also positive about their good deeds: “There’s so much good being done with that money. We’re the lucky ones. I have no complaints.”

The couple kept about two percent of the winnings for themselves, and are not looking forward to doing their taxes this year.

Last week, Oakland, California resident Helen Simmons signed up for an account with the San Francisco Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA). Simmons wanted to use the company’s electronic FasTrack system to automatically pay the toll as she drives across the San Francisco Bay Bridge, which she must cross every day on her way to work.

“I’d been using my mom’s toll tag for years,” she explained. “But after I moved to Oakland 11 months ago, she got tired of me borrowing it and insisted I get one of my own.”

As luck would have it, Simmons was the company’s one millionth customer to open a FasTrack account since BATA began offering the service in 2000. She had no idea that by signing up, she would hit the jackpot! The Toll Authority rewarded her with $1000 worth of free FasTrak, good for several months of toll-free commenting.

Simmons also won Courtside Club tickets for two Golden State Warriors basketball games, and a $100 gift certificate for Warriors merchandise.

She intends to use the free toll service for commuting to work, and for making cheap weekend trips to San Francisco.

Last week, Oakland, California resident Helen Simmons signed up for an account with the San Francisco Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA). Simmons wanted to use the company’s electronic FasTrack system to automatically pay the toll as she drives across the San Francisco Bay Bridge, which she must cross every day on her way to work.

“I’d been using my mom’s toll tag for years,” she explained. “But after I moved to Oakland 11 months ago, she got tired of me borrowing it and insisted I get one of my own.”

As luck would have it, Simmons was the company’s one millionth customer to open a FasTrack account since BATA began offering the service in 2000. She had no idea that by signing up, she would hit the jackpot! The Toll Authority rewarded her with $1000 worth of free FasTrak, good for several months of toll-free commenting.

Simmons also won Courtside Club tickets for two Golden State Warriors basketball games, and a $100 gift certificate for Warriors merchandise.

She intends to use the free toll service for commuting to work, and for making cheap weekend trips to San Francisco.

Garina Fearon is a single mother living in Brooklyn, New York. She works as a prison guard, a job that isn’t much fun when inmates get unruly and decide to assault the guards. Despite these hardships, a lucky mistake last month changed Fearon’s life forever.

Fearson is not a gambler. She said she buys lottery tickets maybe twice a year. Last month she went to her local deli to buy a Powerball ticket, but wound up buying a Mega Millions ticket by mistake. She put the ticket in her pocket, went home, and didn’t even pay attention when the winning numbers were announced that evening.

Two days later, Fearson was at work when she looked up the winning numbers in a newspaper. She soon realized that by buying the wrong ticket, she had won 54 million dollars.

For now, Fearson has stepped away from her job as a guard at Rikers Island while she figures out what to do with her new-found fortune. One thing is certain – she will be sending plenty of money back to her mother in Jamaica.

Lottery winners are often faced with a choice – take a big cut in their prize and collect the remainder right away, or get the whole amount in small payments for years and years. Fearson went for the lump sum option, taking home a fat $33 million.

Garina Fearon is a single mother living in Brooklyn, New York. She works as a prison guard, a job that isn’t much fun when inmates get unruly and decide to assault the guards. Despite these hardships, a lucky mistake last month changed Fearon’s life forever.

Fearson is not a gambler. She said she buys lottery tickets maybe twice a year. Last month she went to her local deli to buy a Powerball ticket, but wound up buying a Mega Millions ticket by mistake. She put the ticket in her pocket, went home, and didn’t even pay attention when the winning numbers were announced that evening.

Two days later, Fearson was at work when she looked up the winning numbers in a newspaper. She soon realized that by buying the wrong ticket, she had won 54 million dollars.

For now, Fearson has stepped away from her job as a guard at Rikers Island while she figures out what to do with her new-found fortune. One thing is certain – she will be sending plenty of money back to her mother in Jamaica.

Lottery winners are often faced with a choice – take a big cut in their prize and collect the remainder right away, or get the whole amount in small payments for years and years. Fearson went for the lump sum option, taking home a fat $33 million.

After charging three members of an Ottawa family with claiming a lottery win that wasn’t theirs, authorities are searching for the rightful winner of a $12.5 million jackpot … from 2003.

As Ontario Provincial Police announced Tuesday that they had arrested and charged Kathleen Chung, 29, Kenneth Chung, 28, and Jun-Chul Chung, 60, for illegally claiming the $12.5 million, Ottawa Lottery and Gaming (OLG) stated its confidence in a system which may help it find the heretofore anonymous actual winner.

Said winner validated a winning “Super 7” ticket at a Burlington store where father Jun-Chul and Kenneth worked. This ticket resulted in a free ticket which was the lucky winner of the draw. The Super 7 winner never receiving the free ticket that was rightfully theirs and Kenneth’s wife Kathleen claimed the win in 2004.

The case has actually been under investigation since 2006, and Ottawa police are now in process of seizing $10 million in property and cash, including the Chungs’ purchase of two homes, five luxury vehicles, and three properties. The three were released on $700,000 bail.

OLG chairman Paul Godfrey told Canadian media that “if someone can come in and tell us everything we already know about the ticket, down to the last detail, there’s a good chance we’re looking at the rightful owner.”

Police have stated that they know the original ticket was purchased in St. Catharines and that the number of tickets purchased along with the fateful winner may indicate that the purchase was a group play.

After charging three members of an Ottawa family with claiming a lottery win that wasn’t theirs, authorities are searching for the rightful winner of a $12.5 million jackpot … from 2003.

As Ontario Provincial Police announced Tuesday that they had arrested and charged Kathleen Chung, 29, Kenneth Chung, 28, and Jun-Chul Chung, 60, for illegally claiming the $12.5 million, Ottawa Lottery and Gaming (OLG) stated its confidence in a system which may help it find the heretofore anonymous actual winner.

Said winner validated a winning “Super 7” ticket at a Burlington store where father Jun-Chul and Kenneth worked. This ticket resulted in a free ticket which was the lucky winner of the draw. The Super 7 winner never receiving the free ticket that was rightfully theirs and Kenneth’s wife Kathleen claimed the win in 2004.

The case has actually been under investigation since 2006, and Ottawa police are now in process of seizing $10 million in property and cash, including the Chungs’ purchase of two homes, five luxury vehicles, and three properties. The three were released on $700,000 bail.

OLG chairman Paul Godfrey told Canadian media that “if someone can come in and tell us everything we already know about the ticket, down to the last detail, there’s a good chance we’re looking at the rightful owner.”

Police have stated that they know the original ticket was purchased in St. Catharines and that the number of tickets purchased along with the fateful winner may indicate that the purchase was a group play.

A pair of huge draws on the weekend resulted in the proverbial “life-changing wins,” as the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery jackpots were each hit by a single player – though neither has stepped forward to claim the prize.

On Friday night, the Mega Millions numbers were drawn on a $54 million jackpot. Numbers 3, 4, 14, 18, 27 and 13 came up to make one lucky citizen of New York City very happy – if he/she is even aware of the win. The jackpot was reset and, with no winner in yesterday’s draw, the September 24 jackpot is estimated to be at $16 million.

Over the weekend, the turgid Powerball jackpot stood at a big $116 million before a customer of Heby’s Shell gas station in Mableton, Georgia, chose the winning numbers 1, 18, 37, 39, 44 and 13 – making the key final numbers in both draws a lucky 13, incidentally – but he/she, too, has yet to come forward and claim the prize as of Wednesday morning.

Heby’s Shell will be receiving a $25,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket and, should the player claim his/her winnings as a cash option, the ticket will be worth a tidy $63 million before taxes. The winner has 180 days to claim the big prize.

The last occasion on which a Georgia player won the Mega Millions jackpot was just over a year ago, with a $12 million payout going to a Sharpsburg man on September 1st of 2009.

A pair of huge draws on the weekend resulted in the proverbial “life-changing wins,” as the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery jackpots were each hit by a single player – though neither has stepped forward to claim the prize.

On Friday night, the Mega Millions numbers were drawn on a $54 million jackpot. Numbers 3, 4, 14, 18, 27 and 13 came up to make one lucky citizen of New York City very happy – if he/she is even aware of the win. The jackpot was reset and, with no winner in yesterday’s draw, the September 24 jackpot is estimated to be at $16 million.

Over the weekend, the turgid Powerball jackpot stood at a big $116 million before a customer of Heby’s Shell gas station in Mableton, Georgia, chose the winning numbers 1, 18, 37, 39, 44 and 13 – making the key final numbers in both draws a lucky 13, incidentally – but he/she, too, has yet to come forward and claim the prize as of Wednesday morning.

Heby’s Shell will be receiving a $25,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket and, should the player claim his/her winnings as a cash option, the ticket will be worth a tidy $63 million before taxes. The winner has 180 days to claim the big prize.

The last occasion on which a Georgia player won the Mega Millions jackpot was just over a year ago, with a $12 million payout going to a Sharpsburg man on September 1st of 2009.

For the third time in five months, an Australian has hit an eight-figure jackpot in the national Oz Lotto and hasn’t come forward to collect the winnings. NSW Lotteries is therefore once again appealing through media channels for players to check their tickets again, for they could easily be sitting on about $20 million ($18.73 million).

What is known is that the winning ticket was bought in Sydney somewhere in the northwest of the city. Further details were not to be released so that, as NSW Lotteries spokeswoman Una O’Neill explained, “the winner [may] check their entry without the glare of publicity.”

Though the deadline for collecting on this ticket would be December 1, 2016, multi-million winners rarely wait for longer than a day or two – except, of course, in Australia lately, where folks’ overlooking winning lottery tickets has become a bit endemic.

In July, another Sydney resident took $40 million ($37.46 million) in the Oz Lottery, but only after a similar public call by NSW Lotteries. And in April, several days passed before a middle-aged couple in Ashfield rechecked their ticket to find they’d bagged $30 million ($28 million).
So, again, if you’re in Sydney, check those tickets!

For the third time in five months, an Australian has hit an eight-figure jackpot in the national Oz Lotto and hasn’t come forward to collect the winnings. NSW Lotteries is therefore once again appealing through media channels for players to check their tickets again, for they could easily be sitting on about $20 million ($18.73 million).

What is known is that the winning ticket was bought in Sydney somewhere in the northwest of the city. Further details were not to be released so that, as NSW Lotteries spokeswoman Una O’Neill explained, “the winner [may] check their entry without the glare of publicity.”

Though the deadline for collecting on this ticket would be December 1, 2016, multi-million winners rarely wait for longer than a day or two – except, of course, in Australia lately, where folks’ overlooking winning lottery tickets has become a bit endemic.

In July, another Sydney resident took $40 million ($37.46 million) in the Oz Lottery, but only after a similar public call by NSW Lotteries. And in April, several days passed before a middle-aged couple in Ashfield rechecked their ticket to find they’d bagged $30 million ($28 million).
So, again, if you’re in Sydney, check those tickets!

A mystery man has just won a $30 million dollar jackpot in Taiwan’s national lottery, just hours after one lotto stand’s oracle octopus predicted that the next big winner would be a male.

The Taiwan Lottery Company has so far revealed that the winner is a man from eastern Taitung county, but they won’t say much else. The man collected his winnings quietly, and is trying to keep out of the spotlight.

As for the oracle octopus, it might have just been a lucky guess, but according to the Taiwan Lottery Company, most winners in the country have in fact been men. Based on a sample study of 1,400 pst winners, the lotto group has put together a very detailed picture of the average Taiwanese lottery winner, all the way down to details such as “large earlobes”.

“The latest winner also has an oval face, double-eyelids and a high nose,” predicted Huang Chi Yi, General Manager of Taiwan Lottery Company. These features describe the majority of the company’s big winners, who tend to be between 40 and 59 with generous souls who were born in the Chinese year of the Goat.

This $30 million lottery prize is the largest jackpots every paid out to a single winner in Taiwan. The store that sold the winning ticket has been buzzing with activity ever since the win was announced, with many visitors having their picture taken in front of the store in hopes of catching some ambient luck.

A mystery man has just won a $30 million dollar jackpot in Taiwan’s national lottery, just hours after one lotto stand’s oracle octopus predicted that the next big winner would be a male.

The Taiwan Lottery Company has so far revealed that the winner is a man from eastern Taitung county, but they won’t say much else. The man collected his winnings quietly, and is trying to keep out of the spotlight.

As for the oracle octopus, it might have just been a lucky guess, but according to the Taiwan Lottery Company, most winners in the country have in fact been men. Based on a sample study of 1,400 pst winners, the lotto group has put together a very detailed picture of the average Taiwanese lottery winner, all the way down to details such as “large earlobes”.

“The latest winner also has an oval face, double-eyelids and a high nose,” predicted Huang Chi Yi, General Manager of Taiwan Lottery Company. These features describe the majority of the company’s big winners, who tend to be between 40 and 59 with generous souls who were born in the Chinese year of the Goat.

This $30 million lottery prize is the largest jackpots every paid out to a single winner in Taiwan. The store that sold the winning ticket has been buzzing with activity ever since the win was announced, with many visitors having their picture taken in front of the store in hopes of catching some ambient luck.

In reportage on lotteries and gambling, we often use the expression “life-changing” to describe the huge wins of which all players dream – but when you’re low enough to be living without running water in your broken down home, those words are at their truest.

FOX News in Chicago last night revisited the story of Jim Gatze for its television audience; Gatze hit the Illinois State Lottery jackpot back in 2003 for $5.5 milllion but became famously lucky as the guy who almost did get paid his jackpot. Gatze bought a ticket at a Calumet Park gas station, but when he went to cash in the winning ticket at a state lottery commission office, he was refused.

First he was mistaken for a homeless man and was not believed when he presented his driver’s license to officials. Apparently, Gatze hadn’t bathed in nine months at that point. He told FOX, “I didn’t have water in the house for about a year and a half. No heat for six months. No phone for a year and a half.”

Enlisting the help of a friend who hired legal assistance and brought a suit against the state for refusal to pay, Gatze ended up collecting his millions in 26 installments of $151,920 each after taxes – but he still doesn’t have a phone.

Gatze today lives in a hotel for $250 a week and uses pay telephones. He has bought three new cars since winning the lottery, his latest a Mazda 3. He keeps his money in a savings account which earns 3% interest at the local bank and is devoted to feeding a dozen or so cats which live in a nearby junkyard.

When he was down on his luck, says Gatze, the cats “were compassionate and all like that, but people always looked down on me. That’s what’s wrong with this world today. People are not as compassionate as animals.”

In reportage on lotteries and gambling, we often use the expression “life-changing” to describe the huge wins of which all players dream – but when you’re low enough to be living without running water in your broken down home, those words are at their truest.

FOX News in Chicago last night revisited the story of Jim Gatze for its television audience; Gatze hit the Illinois State Lottery jackpot back in 2003 for $5.5 milllion but became famously lucky as the guy who almost did get paid his jackpot. Gatze bought a ticket at a Calumet Park gas station, but when he went to cash in the winning ticket at a state lottery commission office, he was refused.

First he was mistaken for a homeless man and was not believed when he presented his driver’s license to officials. Apparently, Gatze hadn’t bathed in nine months at that point. He told FOX, “I didn’t have water in the house for about a year and a half. No heat for six months. No phone for a year and a half.”

Enlisting the help of a friend who hired legal assistance and brought a suit against the state for refusal to pay, Gatze ended up collecting his millions in 26 installments of $151,920 each after taxes – but he still doesn’t have a phone.

Gatze today lives in a hotel for $250 a week and uses pay telephones. He has bought three new cars since winning the lottery, his latest a Mazda 3. He keeps his money in a savings account which earns 3% interest at the local bank and is devoted to feeding a dozen or so cats which live in a nearby junkyard.

When he was down on his luck, says Gatze, the cats “were compassionate and all like that, but people always looked down on me. That’s what’s wrong with this world today. People are not as compassionate as animals.”

A county magistrate in Berkeley County, West Virginia, will now be able to retire after winning a huge $79 million Powerball jackpot.

Magistrate W. Randy Smith, 63 years old, cancelled a scheduled vacation when he heard he’d won the jackpot in favor of his incipient extended holiday thanks to the eight-figure payout. Smith made his intention to step down from the bench, a position he was elected to in 2008, known in a fax to his boss, judicial circuit chief judge David H. Sanders.

Smith served as Berkeley County deputy sheriff for 12 years and as county sheriff for eight before the 2008 election.

In an interview with local media, Smith explained that he didn’t want his employees to be “left holding the bag” and that he would “certainly miss the people that I’ve met and worked with over the years. … I’ve just always enjoyed public service, [and] it has been rewarding to be able to help people.”

Smith said he planned to financially assist some family members with his prize, buy a new car and take a vacation overseas. After taking the “cash option” and figuring for taxes, Smith’s winnings amounted to about $30 million. The winning numbers were 07, 10, 12, 22, 27, and powerball 26.

The magistrate’s last day on the job will be September 6.

A county magistrate in Berkeley County, West Virginia, will now be able to retire after winning a huge $79 million Powerball jackpot.

Magistrate W. Randy Smith, 63 years old, cancelled a scheduled vacation when he heard he’d won the jackpot in favor of his incipient extended holiday thanks to the eight-figure payout. Smith made his intention to step down from the bench, a position he was elected to in 2008, known in a fax to his boss, judicial circuit chief judge David H. Sanders.

Smith served as Berkeley County deputy sheriff for 12 years and as county sheriff for eight before the 2008 election.

In an interview with local media, Smith explained that he didn’t want his employees to be “left holding the bag” and that he would “certainly miss the people that I’ve met and worked with over the years. … I’ve just always enjoyed public service, [and] it has been rewarding to be able to help people.”

Smith said he planned to financially assist some family members with his prize, buy a new car and take a vacation overseas. After taking the “cash option” and figuring for taxes, Smith’s winnings amounted to about $30 million. The winning numbers were 07, 10, 12, 22, 27, and powerball 26.

The magistrate’s last day on the job will be September 6.

Odds of 176 million to 1 were beat this weekend in San Luis Obispo County, California, when the Mega Millions jackpot of $133 million was won by … someone. The numbers 4, 10, 26, 31, 32, and 41 came up to produce a single winner of the record-breaking amount, but no one has stepped forward to claim the prize yet.

Though the $133 million is not the largest prize in the lottery ever – that honor goes to a woman from Southern California who took a $266 million jackpot in May – the win is the biggest ever in San Luis Obispo County.

Seller of the lucky ticket, an outlet known as Bottle Liquor and Deli, will receive a nice bonus of $665,000 for the win. The ticket-holder will be given the option of $92.4 million lump sum payment or payments of $5.11 million per year for 26 years.

California lottery spokesman Alex Traverso said that the winner may take up to 365 days to collect but “rarely do we have a jackpot winner [of a prize] this size wait more than a week.”

Odds of 176 million to 1 were beat this weekend in San Luis Obispo County, California, when the Mega Millions jackpot of $133 million was won by … someone. The numbers 4, 10, 26, 31, 32, and 41 came up to produce a single winner of the record-breaking amount, but no one has stepped forward to claim the prize yet.

Though the $133 million is not the largest prize in the lottery ever – that honor goes to a woman from Southern California who took a $266 million jackpot in May – the win is the biggest ever in San Luis Obispo County.

Seller of the lucky ticket, an outlet known as Bottle Liquor and Deli, will receive a nice bonus of $665,000 for the win. The ticket-holder will be given the option of $92.4 million lump sum payment or payments of $5.11 million per year for 26 years.

California lottery spokesman Alex Traverso said that the winner may take up to 365 days to collect but “rarely do we have a jackpot winner [of a prize] this size wait more than a week.”

When Frank Sullivan hit the Tri-State Megabucks lottery sponsored by Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire state governments for $12.5 million, he knew exactly what to do – no wonder, as twice before family members have struck it rich.

The $12.5 million represents the largest single prize ever rewarded in the Tri-State Megabucks lottery since its establishment in 1985. The bad (though certainly manageable) news for Sullivan is that, since he’s a Vermont native who bought the ticket across the border in New Hampshire, he’ll be paying taxes on his winnings in two states. In taking the “lump sum” option, Sullivan will be banking over $5 million.

According to local media, one of the very first things the 52-year-old did – even before stepping up to claim his prize – was to give two weeks’ notice at his job at a local electronics supplier. He now reportedly carries around lip balm “for people that want money – They’ve gotta kiss up a little bit more” and a black book “for the marriage proposals.”

The store in Gilman where Sullivan bought the ticket will also be receiving $30,000 for selling the lucky jackpot winner.

NECN Online also reports that Sullivan had purchased tickets for last night’s Megabucks drawing – presumably he didn’t win that one, however…

When Frank Sullivan hit the Tri-State Megabucks lottery sponsored by Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire state governments for $12.5 million, he knew exactly what to do – no wonder, as twice before family members have struck it rich.

The $12.5 million represents the largest single prize ever rewarded in the Tri-State Megabucks lottery since its establishment in 1985. The bad (though certainly manageable) news for Sullivan is that, since he’s a Vermont native who bought the ticket across the border in New Hampshire, he’ll be paying taxes on his winnings in two states. In taking the “lump sum” option, Sullivan will be banking over $5 million.

According to local media, one of the very first things the 52-year-old did – even before stepping up to claim his prize – was to give two weeks’ notice at his job at a local electronics supplier. He now reportedly carries around lip balm “for people that want money – They’ve gotta kiss up a little bit more” and a black book “for the marriage proposals.”

The store in Gilman where Sullivan bought the ticket will also be receiving $30,000 for selling the lucky jackpot winner.

NECN Online also reports that Sullivan had purchased tickets for last night’s Megabucks drawing – presumably he didn’t win that one, however…

Director Erik White’s new film Lottery Ticket is, unsurprisingly, a movie about a young man who wins the lottery. It is a comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and judging by the reviews that are popping up from film critics, nobody else is taking it very seriously either.

Lottery Ticket stars rapper Bow Wow as Kevin Carson, a young man living in the projects with his grandmother, whose life takes a turn when he wins a $370 million lottery prize. When he tries to cash in his winning ticket, he finds the lottery office closed for a long 4th of July holiday weekend. The movie follows his misadventures as he struggles to survive three days of begging and bantering from his friends and family, who are all eager to grab a slice of his new jackpot prize.

It’s an easy movie, slightly charming, but overall it’s not a very satisfying ride. Its all-star cast (Mike Epps, T-Pain, Keith David, Charlie Murphy, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Terry Crews, Ice Cube and Loretta Devine) offers a lot of great cameos which spices things up, but these brighter moments don’t keep the story from being utterly predictable. Is this Lottery Ticket worth the $9 it costs to see it in the cinema? Probably not.

Director Erik White’s new film Lottery Ticket is, unsurprisingly, a movie about a young man who wins the lottery. It is a comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and judging by the reviews that are popping up from film critics, nobody else is taking it very seriously either.

Lottery Ticket stars rapper Bow Wow as Kevin Carson, a young man living in the projects with his grandmother, whose life takes a turn when he wins a $370 million lottery prize. When he tries to cash in his winning ticket, he finds the lottery office closed for a long 4th of July holiday weekend. The movie follows his misadventures as he struggles to survive three days of begging and bantering from his friends and family, who are all eager to grab a slice of his new jackpot prize.

It’s an easy movie, slightly charming, but overall it’s not a very satisfying ride. Its all-star cast (Mike Epps, T-Pain, Keith David, Charlie Murphy, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Terry Crews, Ice Cube and Loretta Devine) offers a lot of great cameos which spices things up, but these brighter moments don’t keep the story from being utterly predictable. Is this Lottery Ticket worth the $9 it costs to see it in the cinema? Probably not.

Four winners shared in this weekend’s UK national lottery jackpot grand prize of £4.47 million, but none were as openly generous – or as young – as Stacey Bywater of Holmfirth, England. Stacey, who is 18 years old, was allowed by her parents to play the lottery after her last birthday, even though U.K. law says that anyone over 16 may win.

Bywater’s share ended up being exactly £1,117,779 (about $1.75 million), but British media is happily reporting that Stacey has level-headed plans for the money. First she says she’d like to help her mother and father get a bigger home, moving out of the council house they’re residing in now. She’ll at least be putting down the deposit on a mortgage for a new house.

Afterward, Stacey said she’d be buying herself a Mini Cooper convertible and perhaps a living space – but only for rent. “I’m only 18 and I don’t want to leave them yet,” she told local media outlets. “I don’t think it has sunk in that I’m a millionaire.”

The winning numbers chosen by Stacey and three others were 13, 16, 22, 25, 31 and 39. The total prize pool for last Saturday’s draw was over £14 million ($22 million).

Four winners shared in this weekend’s UK national lottery jackpot grand prize of £4.47 million, but none were as openly generous – or as young – as Stacey Bywater of Holmfirth, England. Stacey, who is 18 years old, was allowed by her parents to play the lottery after her last birthday, even though U.K. law says that anyone over 16 may win.

Bywater’s share ended up being exactly £1,117,779 (about $1.75 million), but British media is happily reporting that Stacey has level-headed plans for the money. First she says she’d like to help her mother and father get a bigger home, moving out of the council house they’re residing in now. She’ll at least be putting down the deposit on a mortgage for a new house.

Afterward, Stacey said she’d be buying herself a Mini Cooper convertible and perhaps a living space – but only for rent. “I’m only 18 and I don’t want to leave them yet,” she told local media outlets. “I don’t think it has sunk in that I’m a millionaire.”

The winning numbers chosen by Stacey and three others were 13, 16, 22, 25, 31 and 39. The total prize pool for last Saturday’s draw was over £14 million ($22 million).

A Shanghai resident won the lottery just days ago, claiming a 259 million yuan jackpot ($38 million USD). This is the second largest lottery win ever recorded in China.

The ticket, purchased at a lottery booth in Dalian Road, Yangpu District, was for a game from the China Welfare Lottery called Union Lotto, sometimes known as the two-colored ball game. Each ticket offers up to 55 top prizes and many more secondary prizes. The winner grabbed 50 out of the 55 top prizes, each one worth five million yuan (about $740,000 USD). An additional six million yuan ($885,600 USD) was won through secondary prizes.

The winner, whose identity has yet to be released, will have to pay approximately 20 percent of the winnings as tax.

The Union Lotto is a progressive jackpot, so it keeps growing week after week if there is no winner. Last year, a player from China’s Henan Province won 359.9 million yuan, the largest lottery jackpot the country has ever seen.

A Shanghai resident won the lottery just days ago, claiming a 259 million yuan jackpot ($38 million USD). This is the second largest lottery win ever recorded in China.

The ticket, purchased at a lottery booth in Dalian Road, Yangpu District, was for a game from the China Welfare Lottery called Union Lotto, sometimes known as the two-colored ball game. Each ticket offers up to 55 top prizes and many more secondary prizes. The winner grabbed 50 out of the 55 top prizes, each one worth five million yuan (about $740,000 USD). An additional six million yuan ($885,600 USD) was won through secondary prizes.

The winner, whose identity has yet to be released, will have to pay approximately 20 percent of the winnings as tax.

The Union Lotto is a progressive jackpot, so it keeps growing week after week if there is no winner. Last year, a player from China’s Henan Province won 359.9 million yuan, the largest lottery jackpot the country has ever seen.

In what South African National Lottery spokeswoman Thembi Tulwana is calling “another dream come true,” a 66-year-old man from Gauteng province has been awarded Saturday’s grand prize ZAR 10 million (about $1.38 million).

When claiming the prize, the man thought he had won a “second-division prize” in the lottery worth just under $15,000. Instead he found out he actually one the big one when rechecking the numbers. His reaction: “Unable to contain his disbelief, he broke down and cried hysterically,” according to representatives of Gidani, the Greece-based company running the lottery.

They went on to state that “He then called his wife of 43 years, whom he trusts entirely, to share the news.”

Though on the face of it, the grand prize doesn’t seem that huge, it’s quite an amazing windfall in a country where, as Wikipedia informs, “The median annual income of Black working adults aged 15-65 is ZAR 12,073 [$1,665].”

Once the man composed himself a bit, he told lottery officials that this prize meant financial independence, plus the opportunity to buy property for himself and his family’s caretaker, and possibly travel. “We will now be able to do things sooner rather than having to wait until we can afford to buy what we like,” he said.

The South African National Lottery started in 2000 and is today overwhelmingly the most popular form of gambling in the country: A study by the National Centre for the Study of Gambling in 2006 showed that 82% of citizens played the lottery and 53% did no other form of gambling.

In what South African National Lottery spokeswoman Thembi Tulwana is calling “another dream come true,” a 66-year-old man from Gauteng province has been awarded Saturday’s grand prize ZAR 10 million (about $1.38 million).

When claiming the prize, the man thought he had won a “second-division prize” in the lottery worth just under $15,000. Instead he found out he actually one the big one when rechecking the numbers. His reaction: “Unable to contain his disbelief, he broke down and cried hysterically,” according to representatives of Gidani, the Greece-based company running the lottery.

They went on to state that “He then called his wife of 43 years, whom he trusts entirely, to share the news.”

Though on the face of it, the grand prize doesn’t seem that huge, it’s quite an amazing windfall in a country where, as Wikipedia informs, “The median annual income of Black working adults aged 15-65 is ZAR 12,073 [$1,665].”

Once the man composed himself a bit, he told lottery officials that this prize meant financial independence, plus the opportunity to buy property for himself and his family’s caretaker, and possibly travel. “We will now be able to do things sooner rather than having to wait until we can afford to buy what we like,” he said.

The South African National Lottery started in 2000 and is today overwhelmingly the most popular form of gambling in the country: A study by the National Centre for the Study of Gambling in 2006 showed that 82% of citizens played the lottery and 53% did no other form of gambling.

When people talk about “life-changing” multi-million prizes in lottery draws, they’re definitely visualizing Elizabeth’s Choras-Hanna’s win of the Powerball Jackpot Prize in July.

Thirty-five year-old Choras-Hanna, who is currently an unemployed medical assistant, will presumably be toning down the job search a bit after claiming her $73.8 million win on Friday. Residing in Hollywood, Florida, Choras-Hanna becomes the state’s second-ever Powerball winner. Opting for a one-time payment rather than installments, Choras-Hanna collected $38,929,055.11 for the winning ticket.

The winning numbers were 20, 21, 27, 28, 56 and Powerball number 4.

“[My sister and I] always go grocery shopping at Publix together, and before we leave we buy one Florida Lotto and one Powerball Quick Pick ticket,” Choras-Hanna said. “The next day, I went to another Publix and had them check my tickets and discovered our ticket was the jackpot winner.”

Choras-Hanna will be sharing the winnings with her sister and her sister’s husband. Though the draw was actually held on July 10, Choras-Hanna said she waited to collect the prize while she and her family “got their affairs in order first.”

In last Friday’s draw, a single winner from Louisiana bought a ticket with a progressive jackpot worth $85.7 million; this winner has yet to claim the prize. The winning numbers were 1, 16, 17, 41, 57 and Powerball 15.

When people talk about “life-changing” multi-million prizes in lottery draws, they’re definitely visualizing Elizabeth’s Choras-Hanna’s win of the Powerball Jackpot Prize in July.

Thirty-five year-old Choras-Hanna, who is currently an unemployed medical assistant, will presumably be toning down the job search a bit after claiming her $73.8 million win on Friday. Residing in Hollywood, Florida, Choras-Hanna becomes the state’s second-ever Powerball winner. Opting for a one-time payment rather than installments, Choras-Hanna collected $38,929,055.11 for the winning ticket.

The winning numbers were 20, 21, 27, 28, 56 and Powerball number 4.

“[My sister and I] always go grocery shopping at Publix together, and before we leave we buy one Florida Lotto and one Powerball Quick Pick ticket,” Choras-Hanna said. “The next day, I went to another Publix and had them check my tickets and discovered our ticket was the jackpot winner.”

Choras-Hanna will be sharing the winnings with her sister and her sister’s husband. Though the draw was actually held on July 10, Choras-Hanna said she waited to collect the prize while she and her family “got their affairs in order first.”

In last Friday’s draw, a single winner from Louisiana bought a ticket with a progressive jackpot worth $85.7 million; this winner has yet to claim the prize. The winning numbers were 1, 16, 17, 41, 57 and Powerball 15.

Canada Lottery Commission (BCLC) has been in the news a lot recently after a technical error with their new online gambling site left the accounts of 200 players compromised. The site is still down, and the Commission has been left struggling to get back to its feet.

Meanwhile in the offline world, casino-goer Adrian MacNair is launching a lawsuit against the Canada Lottery Commission after they refused to pay him a $40,000 jackpot he won at one of their casinos.

Canada Lottery Commission

The problem is that three years ago, MacNair voluntarily listed himself as a “problem gambler” and enrolled in the self-excluding program. Under the program, casino security was supposed to ask him to leave once his ID was matched to a list of participants, but the casinos took no action, so MacNair continued to play.

It was only when he hit a $40,000 jackpot on a slot machine at Cowichan casino back in January that the BCLC finally stepped into action – by refusing to pay him the winnings.

MacNair is now suing the casino. He feels that if the casino let him play and lose money, they should also let him play and win money. This will be the second such lawsuit against the BCLC in recent months – earlier this year a woman sued the Canada Lottery Commission after losing several hundred thousand dollars because the casinos failed to stop her from gambling after she enrolled in the self-exclusion program.

Canada Lottery Commission (BCLC) has been in the news a lot recently after a technical error with their new online gambling site left the accounts of 200 players compromised. The site is still down, and the Commission has been left struggling to get back to its feet.

Meanwhile in the offline world, casino-goer Adrian MacNair is launching a lawsuit against the Canada Lottery Commission after they refused to pay him a $40,000 jackpot he won at one of their casinos.

Canada Lottery Commission

The problem is that three years ago, MacNair voluntarily listed himself as a “problem gambler” and enrolled in the self-excluding program. Under the program, casino security was supposed to ask him to leave once his ID was matched to a list of participants, but the casinos took no action, so MacNair continued to play.

It was only when he hit a $40,000 jackpot on a slot machine at Cowichan casino back in January that the BCLC finally stepped into action – by refusing to pay him the winnings.

MacNair is now suing the casino. He feels that if the casino let him play and lose money, they should also let him play and win money. This will be the second such lawsuit against the BCLC in recent months – earlier this year a woman sued the Canada Lottery Commission after losing several hundred thousand dollars because the casinos failed to stop her from gambling after she enrolled in the self-exclusion program.

Imagine you just won a £7.7 million ($11.7 million) in a national lottery. What would be the first thing you did? Surely a minority would answer, “Immediately get back to work,” but that’s precisely what Ivan Westbury did after receiving the life-changing news last Sunday.

Westbury’s wife of 21 years, Susan, was at a local Tesco checking on her lottery ticket. Susan attracted a bit of attention as she had the ticket scanned by a cashier, who informed her they’d have to call the lottery commission for more information. The information imparted was that, yes, the Westburys had won £7,706,631 in the U.K. lottery – at which, Susan said, “I nearly passed out.”

Susan called her husband, who joined her at the store after leaving his lightning-protection business. The two whooped it up for a bit, but within the hour Ivan was back at work. In explaining his actions, the self-professed workaholic was quoted as saying, “I’ve got a passion about work […] and I just love what I do. I suppose you could call it sad but I haven’t had a day off for four years.”

The Westburys will now take that vacation, though it was planned before the couple bought the lottery ticket: They’ll be taking a day trip to Cornwall.

In hoping to celebrate their win that evening, the Westburys ironically found that they couldn’t afford to pay for some pub drinks in cash.

The couple has stated that they’ll be doing “normal lottery things” by making a few major purchases in addition to giving their children and grandchildren some money – and they’ll be leaving the business open.

Imagine you just won a £7.7 million ($11.7 million) in a national lottery. What would be the first thing you did? Surely a minority would answer, “Immediately get back to work,” but that’s precisely what Ivan Westbury did after receiving the life-changing news last Sunday.

Westbury’s wife of 21 years, Susan, was at a local Tesco checking on her lottery ticket. Susan attracted a bit of attention as she had the ticket scanned by a cashier, who informed her they’d have to call the lottery commission for more information. The information imparted was that, yes, the Westburys had won £7,706,631 in the U.K. lottery – at which, Susan said, “I nearly passed out.”

Susan called her husband, who joined her at the store after leaving his lightning-protection business. The two whooped it up for a bit, but within the hour Ivan was back at work. In explaining his actions, the self-professed workaholic was quoted as saying, “I’ve got a passion about work […] and I just love what I do. I suppose you could call it sad but I haven’t had a day off for four years.”

The Westburys will now take that vacation, though it was planned before the couple bought the lottery ticket: They’ll be taking a day trip to Cornwall.

In hoping to celebrate their win that evening, the Westburys ironically found that they couldn’t afford to pay for some pub drinks in cash.

The couple has stated that they’ll be doing “normal lottery things” by making a few major purchases in addition to giving their children and grandchildren some money – and they’ll be leaving the business open.