| Archived Lottery News for February, 2004Saturday, February 28, 2004 Friday, February 27, 2004 Thursday, February 26, 2004 Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - 6:40 am – Anonymous Winner Claims $85.5 Million Powerball Lottery Jackpot. The winner of the Feb. 4 $85.5 million Powerball jackpot has claimed the prize under the anonymity of a trust, the New Hampshire Lottery said Tuesday.
- GTECH says not linked to scandal in Brazil. West Greenwich, Rhode Island-based GTECH Holdings Corp., the world's biggest supplier of online lottery systems, said yesterday a Brazilian government aide who was fired amid a probe of campaign finance allegations wasn't involved in extending the company's contract in the country.
- Mega Millions jackpot increases to $12 million. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery drawing grew to $12 million Wednesday.
- $175,000 Mega Millions lottery win helps pair greet baby. Kathy L. Dailey, the Shortsville, New York woman who won a second prize worth $175,000 in Friday’s record $239 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot, wasted little time seeking anonymity.
- Oregon Lottery increases number of Keno drawings. The Oregon State Lottery has increased the number and frequency of its Keno drawings in an attempt to boost revenue.
- 2:10 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 3 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in Michigan and 2 in New York. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Tuesday, February 24, 2004 Monday, February 23, 2004 Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 2:40 am – Winning Mega Millions ticket sold in Virginia. One lucky ticket-holder in Virginia managed to beat the odds to become the sole winner of the record $230 million Mega Millions jackpot.
- 2:00 am – Jackpot Winner! There was one $230 million jackpot winner from Virginia in the Friday Mega Millions drawing. More details to follow after the winner comes forward to claim their prize.
- Also, 56 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 8 in New Jersey, 3 in Georgia, 5 in Illinois, 4 in Maryland, 3 in Michigan, 18 in New York, 7 in Ohio, 6 in Texas, and 2 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
- 12:00 am – Be sure to sign up for a Jackpot Alert. You set the jackpot level, and we'll send you an e-mail when the jackpot reaches that level. We don't use your e-mail address for anything else, and we don't give it to anyone - it is completely private.
Friday, February 20, 2004 - 10:00 pm – We're now about 1 hour from the draw time for the $230 million Mega Millions jackpot. This is the first site on the Internet to bring you the results. We will have the results right at 11:00 PM Eastern Time. Check your tickets carefully. The Winning Combinations page provides all the different ways your ticket can win. Answers to other questions can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page.
- 2:20 pm – $230 Million! Due to larger-than-expected ticket sales, tonight's Mega Millions jackpot has been revised upwards to $230 million! It is expected that the jackpot will go even higher by the time the drawing takes place tonight at 11:00 PM. Remember, BigGameLottery.com is the only site that brings you the Mega Millions drawing results live as they're drawn.
- 'Amazing' Mega Millions Sales Pushes Jackpot to $230 Million. Sales for tonight's Mega Millions drawing are so brisk that the estimated jackpot has been revised upward to $230 million.
- 11:20 am – Mega Millions drawings won’t go home until someone wins. Tonight's $222 million Mega Millions drawing will be broadcast live from Times Square in New York City, and Mega Millions drawings will continue to originate from Times Square until the Mega Millions jackpot is won, according to Michigan Lottery officials.
- 9:20 am – $222 Million Mega Millions Drawing Tonight. Lottery players from around the world are hoping their numbers come up in tonight's $222 million Mega Millions lottery drawing. BigGameLottery.com is the only site that brings you the results live as they're drawn. Check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $222 million Big Game Mega Millions drawing results!
- $222M Mega Millions lottery jackpot has Jerseyans dreaming. A surge of ticket buying has swelled the jackpot in the multistate Mega Millions lottery game to at least $222 million -- a figure that could go even higher before Friday night's drawing.
- Illinois officials expect huge lottery ticket sales. With tickets sales today expected to approach $1 million an hour for tonight's record $222 million jackpot, Illinois lottery officials are smiling.
- Georgia benefits from huge Mega Millions jackpot. Georgia lottery players and residents of 10 other states will compete Friday night to win the Mega Millions jackpot, which stands at $222 million - the largest payday in the game's history.
- 9:00 am – Large lottery jackpots mean more big bucks for Ohio. Ohio lottery officials hit the jackpot yesterday, as Mega Millions fever brought in about $148,000 an hour for the state.
- Five charged in Pennsylvania lottery ticket thefts. A mother and daughter and three other employees of a Scranton, Pennsylvania convenience market stole more than $62,000 last year by taking thousands of instant lottery tickets and cashing in winners, a Lackawanna County detective charged Thursday.
- 8:40 am – Weekly $15 Service Fee Surprises Some Tennessee Lottery Vendors. A small group of Tennessee Lottery retailers were not informed they'd have to pay a weekly $15 service charge, and some in Knox County aren't happy about it.
- Minnesota Lottery audit finds high costs, no crime. The Minnesota State Lottery spends more money and provides less to the state than comparable lotteries and should revisit its ties to the St. Paul-based marketing company Media Rare Inc., auditors reported Thursday.
Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 2:20 pm – Mega Millions Jackpot Raised to $222 Million. As of 11:30 a.m. today, lottery officials for the Mega Millions game announced that -- due to solid ticket sales -- the estimated jackpot for Friday, February 20 has been increased to $222 million.
- 10:00 am – Mega Millions lottery jackpot fever. Have you bought your lottery ticket yet for the world's biggest lottery jackpot? You still have time. The Mega Millions Lottery jackpot is up to $215 Million, and is expected to climb even higher by Friday's drawing.
- 9:40 am – $35 Million Powerball Jackpot. Because no one correctly matched all six numbers in Wednesday's Powerball drawing the jackpot grew to an estimated $35 million, with a cash option of $19.2 million.
- Wyoming Takes Step Towards Instituting Lottery. In a narrow vote, Wyoming lawmakers chose to support a bill that would allow the state to get into the lottery game.
- British Lotto winner's legal problems grow. Michael Carroll -- dubbed the "Lotto Lout" in the British press -- has a long rap sheet, which includes brushes with the law both before and after his big win.
- Times Square gets Mega ball drop. The drawing for the $215 million Mega Millions jackpot will be held in Times Square tomorrow, and New York's exuberant lottery celebrity, Yolanda Vega, will announce the winning numbers.
- 9:20 am – Tennessee Lottery selects TV outlets. The Tennessee Lottery has selected the TV stations that will take part in the launch of Cash 3 on March 1 and the televised Powerball drawings in late spring.
- Head of Nebraska Lottery Resigns After Inquiry Clears Him. The head of the Nebraska lottery resigned Wednesday, a week after an investigation cleared him of wrongdoing for taking his wife on a trip to Greece that was paid for by a lottery vendor.
- Bill outlines changes for Minnesota Lottery operations. The Minnesota Lottery would have far less independence from the normal checks and balances of state government under a bill proposed by two legislators.
- 9:00 am – Extensive Minnesota lottery probe underway. Minnesota gambling enforcement agents have begun a sweeping investigation into the Minnesota State Lottery that likely will involve inspecting hundreds of contracts with vendors for any improprieties. It is expected to take months to complete.
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 - 8:00 am – Mega Millions lottery jackpot soars to $215 million. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery drawing grew to $215 million Wednesday, the highest in almost two years.
- 7:40 am – Group of 17 gets $9.7 million Indiana Lottery jackpot. A group of 17 people from Lake County, Indiana claimed a $9.7 million Hoosier Lottery jackpot on Tuesday.
- School Board Discusses Resolution Supporting N.C. Lottery. North Carolina school leaders near Virginia seem especially passionate about the lottery money that goes north of the border.
- Two former workers win suit against Kentucky lottery. A Jefferson Circuit Court jury has awarded $2.8 million to two former Kentucky Lottery employees who claimed they endured racial discrimination on the job.
- 2:45 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 22 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 5 in Georgia, 1 in Illinois, 1 in Massachusetts, 2 in Michigan, 6 in New York, 1 in Ohio, 4 in Texas, and 1 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Tuesday, February 17, 2004 Monday, February 16, 2004 Saturday, February 14, 2004 - 10:20 am – Mega Millions Skyrockets to $177 Million. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery grew to $177 million Saturday when no tickets matched all 5 numbers and the Mega Ball in the Friday drawing.
- 3:15 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 17 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 2 in Georgia, 2 in Massachusetts, 8 in Michigan, 2 in New York, 1 in Ohio, and 1 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Friday, February 13, 2004 - 11:40 pm – French Winner Takes First Euro Millions Jackpot. Friday 13th proved lucky for one French ticketholder, as they scooped the 15 million euro (£10 million or US$19 million) jackpot in the first Euro Millions lottery draw.
- 10:40 am – Euro Millions Launches Tonight. The first draw of a new European multi-country lottery game which offers jackpots of up to £50m takes place tonight.
- 10:20 am – Founding Official of Maryland State Lottery Dies. Robert J. Laird, a founding official of the Maryland State Lottery who created some of the early games and directed its marketing and advertising, died of cancer Friday at Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care. He was 75 and lived in the Wiltondale section of Towson.
- Judge awards excluded worker $1 million share of Big Game jackpot. A New Jersey Superior Court Judge ruled that a supermarket employee who thought she was included in a ticket-buying pool even though she couldn't immediately pay is entitled to share in a $32.9 million Big Game lottery jackpot.
- 10:00 am – Woman Who Claimed Mega Millions Jackpot Changes Plea. The woman who gained national attention when she said she lost a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket has changed her mind about her legal case.
- Sergeant accused of stealing Georgia lottery tickets. A 24-year veteran of the Richmond County Sheriffs Office was suspended without pay after he was charged with stealing lottery tickets while on duty at a grocery store.
- 9:40 am – Nebraska Lottery Director Cleared in Trip. The Nebraska Lottery director will not face criminal charges over a trip to Greece with his wife, whose expenses were paid by a lottery vendor, the attorney general said Thursday.
- S.C. lottery to make more than expected, board says. The South Carolina lottery should generate $80 million more than the state Board of Economic Advisors expected, and that could help buy school buses, cover scholarship programs or increase public school spending.
- Lottery director's friend also tried to commit suicide, report says. The former owner of Media Rare, one of the vendors under investigation for its relationship with the Minnesota lottery, tried to commit suicide 10 days after lottery director George Andersen took his life.
- S.C. officials still looking for $600,000 lottery winner. South Carolina Education Lottery officials still are waiting for the winner of Tuesday night's Carolina 5 to redeem six winning tickets, each worth $100,000.
- Minnesota Lottery to cut ties with bass event. The Minnesota State Lottery will not sponsor any fishing tournaments this year, Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief of staff said Thursday.
Thursday, February 12, 2004 - 9:00 am – Tennessee Lottery wastes $1M on needless legal activities. The Tennessee Lottery has incurred out-of-control legal expenses that stem from needless and insignficant legal activities, according to recent reports.
- Need $150 million? Try for Mega Millions jackpot. Lottery players have another chance at the good life Friday night when the Mega Millions lottery jackpot reaches an estimated $150 million.
- 8:40 am – Can a lottery win make you happy?. The first Euro Millions lottery draw takes place on Friday, with the prospect of multi-million pound jackpots. How do windfall winners come to grips with their newfound wealth - and does it make them happy?
- Strongly worded letter sent to lottery director before his death. After being directed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the state's finance commissioner has worked with the Minnesota State Lottery since last spring to tighten operations, but enough lapses continued that a strongly worded letter was sent to lottery director George Andersen shortly before his death, the Pioneer Press reported.
Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 9:00 am – Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $150 million. None of the tickets sold for Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing matched all five lotto numbers and the Mega Ball, increasing the Friday jackpot to $150 million, with a cash option of $89 million.
- Storeowners Receive Share Of Lottery Jackpot. The winners of last week's $85 million Powerball jackpot have yet to come forward, but the storeowners who sold the ticket received their share of the pot Tuesday.
- 8:55 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 20 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 5 in New Jersey, 1 in Georgia, 1 in Illinois, 1 in Maryland, 2 in Michigan, 3 in New York, 2 in Ohio, 3 in Texas, and 2 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
- 8:40 am – Lotto winner gives $1M to friend. Twenty years ago, buddies Funk and Michael Hawryshko promised each other that if one of them ever won the lottery, he'd give the other a million bucks.
- 8:20 am – Tennessee Lottery Brings In $96.5 Million In First Three Weeks. Starting the Tennessee Lottery 21 days earlier than the original Feb. 10 target date has resulted in approximately $96.5 million in ticket sales in just three weeks, which means nearly $30 million for education programs in the state to date, Lottery officials said Tuesday.
- Bill created to clean up Colorado lottery. Concerned over an audit that found problems with the Colorado Lottery, lawmakers began work Tuesday on a bill that would require ethics training and criminal background checks of all lottery officials, including the governor's appointees.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004 Monday, February 9, 2004 Saturday, February 7, 2004 - 10:00 pm – Lottery Post Adds New Lottery Predictions Features. Lottery Post, a leading Internet Web site focused on the lottery industry, increased its offerings today with the addition of a section dedicated to future lottery predictions.
- 9:00 am – Mega Millions jackpot increases to $121 million. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery drawing grew to $121 million Saturday, as none of the tickets sold for Friday's $102 million drawing matched all five lotto numbers and the Mega Ball.
- 8:30 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 18 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 1 in Georgia, 2 in Illinois, 1 in Massachusetts, 1 in Maryland, 4 in Michigan, 4 in New York, 2 in Ohio, 1 in Virginia, and 1 in Washington. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Friday, February 6, 2004 Thursday, February 5, 2004 Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - 5:00 pm – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 8 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 2 in Illinois, 3 in New York, 1 in Ohio, 1 in Texas, and 1 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
- Nebraska's Top Lottery Official Suspended. The head of the Nebraska lottery has been suspended pending an investigation of gifts involving a vendor, officials said.
- 8:40 am – Ohio man wins lottery twice. Bob Woerner of Zanesville, Ohio won the Dec. 18 drawing of the Buckeye Five with two different tickets bought at two different stores.
- 8:00 am – Mega Millions Jackpot Swells to $102 Million. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery grew to $102 million Wednesday when none of the tickets sold for Tuesday's $85 million drawing matched all five lotto numbers and the Mega Ball.
- GTECH Named Apparent Winning Vendor for Mexico Lottery Contract. GTECH Corporation has been selected by Pronosticos para la Asistencia Publica (Pronosticos) as the apparent successful vendor to provide equipment and services for a new online lottery system and associated telecommunications network in Mexico under a proposed six-year contract.
- 7:40 am – Ruling taxes lottery winner at higher rate. An Oregon Lottery jackpot winner is going to have to pay a higher tax rate after a federal appeals court rejected his argument the prize money should be taxed like an investment at the lower capital gains rate.
- Alabama man hits Florida Lotto jackpot. Earl S. Luellen of Foley, Alabama won half of a $7 million jackpot in the Saturday night drawing, according to a statement released by Florida officials Tuesday.
- Colorado Lottery contracts not renewed. The Colorado Department of Revenue will not extend two key Colorado Lottery contracts, choosing instead to seek new bids for advertising and public relations services.
- Rightful owner of Powerball ticket finally gets $100,000 prize. A Morgan City, Louisiana man whose $100,000 Powerball ticket was allegedly stolen finally got his money on Tuesday.
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