| Archived Mega Millions and Powerball Lottery NewsFriday, March 29, 2002 - 6:35 am – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $76 million Big Game drawing results!
- Michigan resident wins $150,000 Big Game prize. Michael Parski of Harrison Township, Michigan is $150,000 richer after matching the first five numbers in the March 19 Big Game drawing.
- $48.1 Million Powerball Ticket Sold in Louisiana. The winner of the $48.1 million Powerball jackpot now has to decide if they want the 25-year annuity or the $26 million cash option. The ticket holder will have 60 days after the ticket is validated to make that decision. Click over to Lottery Post for an interesting discussion about the cash vs. annuity choice.
- Andrew N.S. Glazer: House advantage grows with bets. A reader proposes the following theory: "I know the statistics say the house has an edge of only 1 to 2 percent, depending on the specific game and casino, but I submit the house edge in actual practice has to be much higher.... The house wins the great majority of the time, not 51 percent of the time. I have come to believe I am just a very unlucky gambler." Learn the real truth behind the slim casino edge.
- Rare treasure saved by Lottery grant. A rare amber cabinet just 12 inches high is to remain on Merseyside following a £500,000 lottery grant.
- Detroit wins big with casino deal. Detroit was hailed as a winner Tuesday in a new deal for permanent casinos that will give the city a much-needed cash windfall along with hotel rooms and a swath of riverfront land.
- Penn. Cash 5 winner expedites retirement. After winning $450,873 in the Pennsylvania Lottery, Charles Roberts said Wednesday he has moved up his retirement plans.
- Panel to tackle lottery spending. Six lawmakers from around South Carolina will decide how to divvy up $216 million expected from the first 18 months of state-sponsored gambling.
- Gold Ranch lottery winner used wedding, birth dates. California Lottery officials on Tuesday identified the purchasers of the third "SuperLotto Plus" ticket bought at Gold Ranch west of Reno that shares in the $87 million jackpot. Mark Eldredge, Reed Eldredge, Terry Eldredge, Jill Suess and David Eldredge will get the $14 million cash value of the jackpot, said California Lottery spokeswoman Norma Minas.
Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 8:10 am – Nebraska lottery retailer cashes in on Wyoming, Colorado border locale. In eight years of lottery sales, Big Al's downtown store and Citgo gas station has sold $1.7 million worth of Powerball, Scratch, Pick 5 and Lotto tickets. In a town of 2,560 people, that is $671.70 spent on the lottery for every man, woman and child in town -- or $83.96 per person each of those eight years.
- Town officials get lottery warning. A town staff memo sent to all Hilton Head Island elected officials, committee appointees and notaries warns them that they risk losing their positions if they play the new South Carolina state lottery.
- Legislators look to change S.C. lottery rules. On the South Carolina legislative front, both the House and the Senate dealt with the lottery issue Tuesday. The Senate unanimously approved a joint resolution that would remove the lottery from the prohibition against public officials gambling.
Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 8:00 am – Winners of special California lottery drawing posted online. According to local news sources Californians sent in more than 2 million free entries to a special drawing intended to appease lottery players who were systematically sold California scratch-off tickets despite the fact that all the big prizes were already awarded. State officials held the drawing Friday at an Irvine warehouse to award $1 million in prizes ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.
- 2:00 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 10 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 3 in New Jersey, 4 in Georgia, 2 in Illinois, and 1 in Massachusetts. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Tuesday, March 26, 2002 - 7:45 am – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $66 million Big Game drawing results!
- Condon questions Powerball. An opinion from Attorney General Charlie Condon won't stop South Carolina from pursuing Powerball or other big-jackpot, multistate lottery games, S.C. Lottery Commission Chairman John C.B. Smith Jr. said Monday. Condon's nonbinding opinion, issued Monday, argues that the amendment says a lottery may be conducted "only by the state." Multistate games are run by an out-of-state conglomerate, he said. More: S.C. can't join in multistate lottery games, official says.
- Cracked ball forces second Cash 5 lottery drawing. A cracked lottery ball forced officials to hold a second drawing for the Pennsylvania Lottery's Cash 5 game Sunday night, a spokeswoman said.
- Lottery winning fireman tees-off to celebrate. A Liverpool-based fireman celebrated his jackpot Lottery win by going out to play a round of golf. Brian Swift, who lives in Bowring Park, was a member of a six-strong syndicate which matched all six numbers on Saturday's UK Lottery draw, winning just over £3.2m.
- Cuban Man Wins Lotto Eight Years After Arriving On Boat. Jesus Rodriguez, 29, won half of a $7 million Florida Lotto jackpot just eight years ago he made the trip from Cuba to South Florida on a 20-foot boat along with other family members, according to a Florida Lottery press release.
Monday, March 25, 2002 - 8:00 am – Condon To Rule On Powerball-Like Games. South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon will announce today in Greenville his opinion on whether it is legal for the state to take part in multi-state lottery games.
- University of Oklahoma Editorial: Let lottery pass or fail before the voters. Unlike many proposals considered by the Oklahoma legislature, a lottery would have a huge impact on the state. As such, the lottery should be placed before the voters.
- Jackpot loser fights casino. With steely fury, Vasilios Milios bitterly recalls the day the jackpot of a lifetime crept tantalizingly close to his reach at a Foxwoods Casino and Resort poker table, only to be yanked away by managers he said doctored a video to disqualify him from taking his winnings.
- 5:35 am – The Big Game holds top jackpot honors. The Big Game's $66 million jackpot is currently the largest lottery jackpot in North America. The top-5 jackpots are:
- $66 million, The Big Game (drawing Tuesday, 3/26/02)
- $48 million, Powerball (drawing Wednesday 3/27/02)
- $24 million, Ohio Super Lotto (drawing Wednesday 3/27/02)
- $16 million, Texas Lotto (drawing Wednesday 3/27/02)
- $12.5 million, Wisconsin Very Own Megabucks (drawing Wednesday 3/27/02)
- Future of lottery debated. As debate shifts from the state Capitol to the public arena, two opposing groups muster forces for a statewide confrontation over an Oklahoma lottery.
- Agency misses lottery cut. Orlando, Florida agency Fry Hammond Barr is out of the running for the Florida Lottery account -- one of the most lucrative pieces of advertising business in the state. Turns out the field of nine agency candidates was narrowed to two, and Fry Hammond Barr -- the only Orlando agency that submitted a proposal -- didn't make the cut.
- From $5 to $150,000: Virginia man wins big in The Big Game. A few months ago, Mr. Shen Son of Clifton won $5 playing The Big Game. So, you might excuse his son Ky for being a little skeptical when his father told him Wednesday he had now won $150,000.
Saturday, March 23, 2002 - 3:55 pm – Special Saturday news update for BigGameLottery.com readers
- Lottery hopefuls pick their numbers. With the Big Game jackpot continuing to rise, hopeful players have a lot to say about the game.
- Three suspects sought by police in NJ lottery scam. Three police officers handed out fliers on Speedwell and Sussex avenues Thursday to warn Hispanic residents of an ongoing lottery scam in Morristown, NJ.
- Texas Lottery official resigns after harassment complaint. An audit manager for the Texas Lottery has filed a criminal complaint against a state lottery commissioner, alleging that he harassed and injured her last month at a Houston restaurant.
- Move to let S.C. public officials play state lottery fails. Notaries public and other public officials cannot legally play the lottery now, and odds are it will stay that way after the S.C. House defeated a measure Thursday calling for a November referendum to change the state constitution.
- Inglewood, Calif. store sells winning lottery ticket. One of three winning tickets in Wednesday night's California SuperLotto drawing for $87 million was sold at the Bank of Scotland Liquor store in Inglewood, California.
- Missouri Lottery to go ahead with keno game, regardless of lawmakers' complaints. The Missouri Lottery says it is going ahead with plans for a keno-style game in restaurants and bars, regardless of opposition from a large number of state lawmakers.
- Casino industry concerns are latest obstacle for Internet gambling ban. The casino industry is opposing the latest effort to ban gambling on the Internet, adding a new obstacle for lawmakers who have tried for six years to arrest a burgeoning online activity. The American Gaming Association, which represents commercial casinos, says a bill by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., gives special treatment to the horse racing industry while adding unwarranted new restrictions on casinos.
- Lottery grant funds UK youth Internet access. Young people can now get free Internet access at a youth centre in Oxford, which is part of a regeneration project funded by East Oxford Action from a £200,000 Lottery grant.
- Lottery payout boost for sports facilities. The New Opportunities Fund is Scotland's largest ever lottery-funded sports programme with the announcement confirming a total of £87 million of funds going to transform sporting opportunities for schools and communities nationwide.
- Lottery cash to pay for new village hall. Community groups in Hatton are celebrating after being awarded a £250,000 National Lottery grant which will finance the building of a new community hall.
- 2:00 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday drawing, but 8 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 2 in New Jersey, 1 in Georgia, 1 in Massachusetts, 1 in Michigan, and 3 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Friday, March 22, 2002 - 9:40 pm – Friends Share Lottery Winnings. The winning California Super Lotto ticket bought in San Francisco, one of three that had all the right numbers for Wednesday night's $87 million jackpot, was purchased by a pair of Bay Area men who have been friends for 20 years, lottery officials say.
- 1:35 pm – Scientific Games files to sell 12.5 mln shrs. Lottery ticket services provider Scientific Games Corp. filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell 12.5 million class A common shares currently worth about $106 million.
- 7:10 am – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $56 million Big Game drawing results!
- Woman Claims She Tossed Winning Scratch Ticket. A Marlboro, Massachusetts woman is claiming that she threw away a grand prize scratch ticket a year ago, and now she wants it back.
- Lottery Ticket Scam Used To Rob Woman. Hollywood, Florida police are looking for two suspects who used a lottery scheme to rob a woman of $10,000.
- S.F. store strikes Lotto gold
Customer buys ticket there, wins $29 million. Two lucky winners who bought a total of $10 in Lotto tickets from the D&T Smoke Shop in downtown San Francisco came forward yesterday and claimed one-third of Wednesday's $87 million jackpot, the first of three winning tickets to be turned in.
- One of three winning lottery tickets sold at Verdi near Reno. One of three winning tickets in Wednesday night's drawing for the California Lottery's "SuperLotto Plus" game was sold at the Gold Ranch store east of Reno.
Thursday, March 21, 2002 - 7:40 am – Henry to lead initiative petition drive for Oklahoma lottery. A legislative attempt to create a state lottery was abandoned today by a lawmaker who says he now intends to establish one through an initiative petition drive. State Sen. Brad Henry, D-Shawnee, said that while support for a lottery is lacking in the Oklahoma Legislature, the public is in favor of it.
- Lottery finds big is better for sales. The California SuperLotto Plus jackpot is mushrooming to dreamy levels – Saturday's drawing is for $87 million – just a month after it reached a record $193 million. The California Lottery's move to tweak the game in the summer of 2000 – making it tougher to win so that jackpots would bulge – is having the desired effect and then some. The linked article also compares the situation to the upcoming Big Game changes.
- Federal appeals court reverses Idaho tribal lottery case. A federal appeals court in California says the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe is free to sell lottery tickets to buyers off the reservation thorough a toll-free number.
- Boy claims he lost $3,000 in lottery scam. A 13-year-old boy lost $3,000 in a lottery ticket scam Tuesday, according to a police report.
- Lottery gambling is kept sacred from British bookmakers. The Government is expected to reject calls from British bookmakers to allow side betting on the National Lottery when new gaming legislation is unveiled next week.
- Recent Michigan Big Game $150,000 winners:
Wednesday, March 20, 2002 - 7:55 am – S.C. Lottery to launch five-number game in June. The S.C. lottery plans to launch a five-number game, tentatively titled Carolina 5, in early June. The game will feature twice-weekly drawings and a top prize of $100,000, after taxes. Also notable is that the S.C. Lottery will be meeting with representatives from The Big Game and Powerball to discuss the pariticpation in a multi-state game.
- Fortune Teller: Winning Lotto Stolen From Dreams. An Argentine fortune teller who accused a lottery ticket seller of "stealing" winning numbers by entering her dreams may face prosecution for threatening to burn down his house, police said on Monday.
- Lottery critic appointed to VA lottery board. A vocal critic of the Virginia Lottery has been appointed by Gov. Mark Warner to the State Lottery Board.
- Reno-based company forms lottery division. Reno-based slot manufacturer International Game Technology announced it has formed a lottery division, which will oversee business lines acquired in IGT's acquisition of Anchor Gaming late last year.
- 2:00 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 4 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 1 in Georgia, 2 in Michigan, and 1 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Tuesday, March 19, 2002 - 12:10 pm – Callahan revises gambling proposal. Regulation of Kentucky slot machine casinos at horse tracks would be put under the auspices of the Kentucky Lottery Corp. in a revised proposal put forth Monday. Rep. Jim Callahan, D-Wilder, said using the lottery and its existing structure adds credibility to the plan and could also mean getting slot machines up and running three to six months faster than if an entirely new regulatory agency had to be created.
- Lottery introduces new game. The New York Lottery has formed a partnership with Empire State Development to offer a new scratch-off instant game with the "I Love New York" theme.
- 7:40 am – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $48 million Big Game drawing results!
- New Big Game jackpots could hit $500 million. According to acting Michigan Lottery Director Jim Kipp, the revised Big Game could become real big, possibly reaching jackpots in the $500 million range. Although the linked article indicates that the new game will begin in April, other sources have previously indicated a start date of May 17th.
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