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How Lotteries Work. Ever wonder why the lump sum payout amount is about half of the actual jackpot amount, or how to calculate the odds of winning the Lotto? This interesting article from HowStuffWorks provides answers to these questions, as well as how the ball-drawing machines work and how much money you could expect to take home if you win.
Wednesday, May 30, 2001
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A Big Game lottery windfall runs out in 10 days. A winning Big Game lottery ticket worth $46 million that was purchased at a Bergen County, New Jersey convenience store a year ago has remained unclaimed for 355 days and won't be worth the paper it's printed on unless the owner comes forward within the next 10 days.
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There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 3 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey and 2 in Michigan. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Tuesday, May 29, 2001
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New! Check out the new Big Game Gift Shop, where you can get high-quality Big Game gifts for yourself or others. All merchandise is backed by an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee from the manufacturer, but I can tell you you're not going to want to send it back! These unique gifts can't be found anywhere else. When you click over to the Shop, click on an item to see pictures of all sides -- many items (such as shirts and mugs) have pictures on both sides.
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Big Game Drawing Tonight. For those returning from a long weekend, welcome back! Don't forget to get your tickets for the $9 million Big Game drawing tonight. If you want to play online, your order needs to be in by 2:00 PM Eastern Time today at PlayBigGame.com.Cabbies play waiting game for lottery prize. Cabdriver Oheneba Boakye has dipped into savings to pay this month's rent on his Austell apartment -- not what you'd expect from a lottery winner.Jackpot winnings often hit turbulence. The metro Atlanta cab drivers arguing over how to split a $90 million lottery jackpot are following a long tradition of friends and relatives feuding over their winnings.COMPLAINT FOR SHARE OF MAY 4 2001 BIG GAME LOTTERY WINNINGS. The full text of the complaint filed against the winning cab drivers.
Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $9 million Big Game drawing results!
Saturday, May 26, 2001
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N.C. Senate presents no-lottery budget. In what seems like bad news for North Carolina lottery fans, the N.C. Senate released its proposed state budget Thursday, adding a long-distance telephone tax, cutting the popular "Smart Start" program and leaving out both a state lottery and the statewide pre-kindergarten program it would fund.
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There was no jackpot winner in the Friday drawing, but 4 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 2 in Georgia, and 1 in Michigan. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Friday, May 25, 2001
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Riches on hold
for Big Game lottery winners. Says one cab driver: "I don't have a penny in my pocket."Michigan Resident Collects $150,000 Prize in May 1 Big Game Drawing. Joan Grant of Lansing, Michigan was in disbelief when she learned she had matched the first five numbers in the May 1 Big Game drawing to win a $150,000 prize.Shocking $150,000 Big Game Prize. Charles Phillips of Allen Park, Michigan was shocked when he learned he had matched the first five numbers in the May 1 Big Game drawing to win a $150,000 prize.Andrew N.S. Glazer: Emotions high at world series. The 32nd annual World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas comprises 30 events drawing more than 6,000 entrants, who competed for more than $18,000,000 in prize money.
Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $7 million Big Game drawing results!
Thursday, May 24, 2001
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Cabbie's Big Game Lottery Lawsuit Diminishes. Nine of 14 Atlanta taxi drivers who sued for a portion of a $90 million Big Game jackpot apparently have settled their dispute with the winners and dropped out of the lawsuit.
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Online Gaming Bill Headed for Vote in Nevada Senate. A bill that would put Nevada on a fast track to become the first state with legalized Internet gambling has passed through one of the state's two legislative chambers and will come up for a vote in the other later this week.Internet Co. Reaches Track Deal. An Internet wagering company reached an agreement with 26 race tracks to offer online gambling to subscribers.
Wednesday, May 23, 2001
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There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 1 in Georgia and 1 in Michigan. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Tuesday, May 22, 2001
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Sale ends at 2:00 PM Eastern Time today. This is the last opportunity to take advantage of the PlayBigGame.com 10% off sale.
More information on the $12 million winning Big Game ticket from the Friday drawing: the winning ticket was sold at News & More, Inc., 948 Radio Road in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey.
State lotteries are big business. According to USA Today, Americans spent nearly $38 billion playing the lotteries in 2000. Among the statistics:
Massachusetts topped the states with $3.7 billion in lottery sales.
Rhode Island led the nation in per capita sales: $823.16
Montana was at the bottom: totals sales, $29 million; per capita sales, $33.
Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $5 million Big Game drawing results!
Monday, May 21, 2001
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One day left in PlayBigGame.com sale. Only one day left to take advantage of the 10% off sale for all subscriptions 4 drawings or more. If you were considering a long-term subscription, now is the time, as this sale may not come around again.
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Lottery ticket OK'd, but payout delayed. Four Ghanaian cabbies, with their lawyer in tow, presented the $49.4 million winning Big Game ticket at Georgia Lottery headquarters.Pools prove to be Lotto trouble. Several dozen Ghanaian cabdrivers living in Atlanta learned that lesson and one more over the past couple of weeks: When it comes to the lottery, you've got to have rules for the pools.Preakness Strike at OTB Averted. A threatened Preakness Day strike at three off-track betting parlors was averted by a tentative agreement to increase the pay of pari-mutuel clerks.All Bets Are On Again With Demise of British Wager Tax. In the UK, now that the betting shops have been freed from a 9% tax on wagers -- as the government moves to lure back gamblers who had fled offshore and online -- the parlors are laying odds that they will have even more customers.Andrew N.S. Glazer: When playing blackjack, winning is about strategy. The last article in a series on the most fiscally responsible way to approach casino games looks at blackjack, an old casino favorite.
Saturday, May 19, 2001
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One-Time Sale at PlayBigGame.com. For the first time ever, PlayBigGame.com is having a sale! If you order any subscription 4 drawings or longer by Tuesday May 22, you'll receive 10% off your order. Don't wait to take advantage of this special offer -- after Tuesday it's gone!
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Jackpot Winner! There was one $12 million jackpot winner from Ocean County, New Jersey in the Friday drawing. More details to follow after the winner comes forward to claim their prize.
For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Friday, May 18, 2001
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If you're going to play for the $12 million jackpot online at PlayBigGame.com, your order needs to be placed before 2:00 PM Eastern Time today to beat the automatic purchase cutoff.
And whether you bought your tickets in a store or played online, we're still the online site on the Internet that gives you the results live as they're drawn. Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $12 million Big Game drawing results!
Thursday, May 17, 2001
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Las Vegas Casinos Shift Stand, Backing Internet Wagering. Note: The linked article requires a free registration to the NY Times web site to read. Normally I stay away from linking to NY Times articles for that reason, but I'm making a big exception here. In a move that we at BigGameLottery.com can't be happier about, several big Las Vegas casinos are reversing their stance on online gaming, and are throwing their full support against a ban on Internet wagering. As long-time readers of this web site are fully aware, we are diametrically opposed to any limitation on your right to conduct yourself as you please online, including the ability to wager online. We see this welcome move by the Las Vegas casinos as a huge blow to certain representatives and senators who are attempting to censor your online experiences.Lucky Man Claims $150,000 Lottery Big Game Prize. Curt Foster of Saginaw, Michigan knew that if he kept playing The Big Game he would eventually win big.Michigan Man Shocked to Win
$150,000 Big Game Prize. Jim Landrigan of Pontiac, Michigan was shocked when he discovered he had matched the first five numbers in the May 8 Big Game drawing to win a $150,000 prize.Indian casinos may lift California to No. 1 in gaming. California's Indian casinos are projected to earn more than $5 billion in the coming year, leaving the state second only to Nevada among the nation's gambling empires.
Wednesday, May 16, 2001
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MGM's bank is booming. MGM Mirage owns some of the most lavish casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, but the company is experiencing some of its highest profit margins in downtown Detroit.Gamblers average $68 each visit. For the first 18 months of operation, more than 13.6 million gamblers entered Detroit's three casinos, waging an average of $68 with each visit.Amid Confusion, State Drops Tribes' Slot Machine Deadline. Gambling regulators have canceled today's much-ballyhooed deadline for Native American casinos to install hundreds of lucrative slot machines--a deadline they say never existed but developed out of confusion over California's new casino gambling compact.Wisconsin Governor Bars Indians' Casino. Wisconsin Gov. Scott McCallum (R) said today he will not permit three small Chippewa Indian bands to build an off-reservation casino on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border even though it was approved by the Bush administration.Senate Anti-Gambling Bill Forces Schools to Spy on Students. Legislation to foil betting on amateur sports would require colleges to police students' Net usage – or else get no federal funding.
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There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 3 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 1 in Georgia, 1 in Illinois, and 1 in Maryland. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Tuesday, May 15, 2001
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Virginia Man Wins $150,000 Big Game Prize. Ernest Taylor of Pulaski, Virginia came to the Virginia Lottery’s regional office in Roanoke to claim his $150,000 prize from the May 4, 2001 drawing of The Big Game.Record lottery jackpot claimed. The Britain National Lottery's third-highest jackpot has been claimed, but the winner - or winners - wish to remain anonymous.Woman Accused of Lottery Theft. An 85-year-old woman is accused of stealing a winning Powerball lottery ticket worth $100,000 from her granddaughter and the granddaughter's co-workers.
Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $9 million Big Game drawing results!
Monday, May 14, 2001
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Ohio May Become Eighth Big Game State. Ohio State Lottery officials, hoping to keep the option of a multistate game in play, met with representatives of The Big Game last week in Cleveland.Toledo, Ohio Resident Collects $150,000 Prize in April 27 Big Game Drawing. Debra Edwards of Toledo, Ohio was in disbelief when she learned she had matched the first five numbers in the April 27 Big Game drawing to win a $150,000 prize.
Saturday, May 12, 2001
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Congratulations to Michael Birnbaum of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, who won $150 playing The Big Game online at PlayBigGame.com! The lucky player used a Quick Pick in last night's drawing, and matched 4 of the first 5 numbers for the prize.
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The were no jackpot winners and no $150,000 winners in the Friday drawing. For the complete rundown of winners in each of the other prize categories, see the Winning Combinations page.
Friday, May 11, 2001
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PlayBigGame.com Operational. After about a day of downtime, PlayBigGame.com is back up and operational. It is possible that over the next day or so there may be short periods of downtime, so if you happen to hit a snag just wait a few minutes and try again..
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Update: Unfortunately, the PlayBigGame.com server problem is still being worked on, so the main pages still cannot be accessed. You can, however, access the order system directly by clicking here: PlayBigGame.com Order System.
Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $7 million Big Game drawing results!
Thursday, May 10, 2001
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Update: For those trying to get to PlayBigGame.com tonight, you may experience difficulties in getting onto the site for the next few hours. This is related to a server issue (it's "technical" for the non-computer literate), and should be resolved sometime later this evening/early morning Friday. However, if you're already familiar with PlayBigGame.com, you can go to the online order system by clicking this link: PlayBigGame.com Order System.
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14 Taxi Drivers Seek Lotto Winnings. Fourteen taxi drivers are fighting over a $90 million lottery ticket, contending they were part of a pool that bought the ticket and are entitled to share the prize.House barely OKs lottery bills. In South Carolina, what was supposed to be routine final approval of lottery legislation in the House wasn't routine at all Tuesday.Lottery Snubs Official Over Lost Ticket Couple. British lottery organizers have rebuffed a government minister's advice that they hand over three million pounds to a couple who lost their winning ticket.
Wednesday, May 9, 2001
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Taxi Story has Several Twists. This evening the Georgia Lottery held a press conference in which further details emerged about the $90 million jackpot fiasco. Click over to the story for the details.
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News Alert:Taxi Tiff Prevents Big Game Payout. A restraining order has been placed against the Georgia Lottery Corporation to prohibit the awarding of the recent $90 million jackpot. The winning ticket was sold in Griffin, Georgia, and is worth a one-time cash payout of nearly $49.5 million. Although the apparent winners of the big prize have not stepped forward, a dispute has eruped among several cab drivers who claim to hold the winning ticket. Related story: Big Game Restraining Order a First.
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S.C. House Passes Lottery Bill. The state House approved its plan for a lottery Thursday, but imposed so many restrictions on the games that lottery backer Gov. Jim Hodges threatened a veto.Lottery Host Claims Unfair Firing. A host of the televised New York lottery drawing was fired after mistaking a 6-ball for a 9-ball during a live broadcast, lottery officials said. But Reny Monk contends she was fired for refusing to smoke, drink and play "lottery jeopardy" with her bosses in a bar during a sales conference, the New York Post reported Thursday.Ratliff to block Indian casino bill. All it takes is the will of Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff to kill legislation that would legalize gambling under Texas law on all three of the state's American Indian reservations.Panel Acts To Close Gambling Loophole. A bill to ban betting on amateur sports cleared a key Senate committee yesterday after its supporters narrowly defeated an amendment that would have gutted the legislation.Casino Evacuated After Fire . In Robinsonville, Mississippi, a small fire broke out Friday at the Grand Casino and Hotel, sending smoke into the huge gambling hall. Two workers were treated for smoke inhalation.
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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 New Jersey, 1 in Illinois, and 2 in Michigan. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Saturday, May 5, 2001
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Congratulations to Gerard Pemberton of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, who won $150 playing The Big Game online at PlayBigGame.com! The lucky player used a Quick Pick, and matched 4 of the first 5 numbers for the prize.
Also, congratulations to Craig DeBaun of Oceanside, New York, who won $100 playing The Big Game online at PlayBigGame.com! The winner used a Quick Pick, and matched 3 of the first 5 numbers plus the Big Money Ball for the prize.
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Jackpot Winner! There was one $90 million jackpot winner from Georgia in the Friday drawing. More details to follow after the winner comes forward to claim their prize.
Also, 8 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 2 in Georgia, 1 in Illinois, 1 in Massachusetts, 1 in Michigan, and 2 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Friday, May 4, 2001
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Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $90 million Big Game drawing results! We're the only site on the Internet to bring you the results live as they're drawn.
Thursday, May 3, 2001
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Michigan Man Collects $150,000 Prize
in April 20 Big Game Drawing. Phil Gullet of Willis, Michigan, a NASCAR racing fan, felt like he had won his own race when he learned he had matched the first five numbers in the April 20 drawing to win the $150,000 Big Game prize.$90 Million and Counting!. Some interesting information on The Big Game's current jackpot, including a breakdown of your what your winnings would be by day.About Friday's Drawing:
Estimated Jackpot:
$90 MILLION.
Highest jackpot since:
Jan. 26, 2001 ($82 million, which rolled to $103 million and was hit on Jan. 30, 2001).
Last Jackpot won:
March 6, 2001 ($21 million – won in Maryland). Jackpot has now rolled 16 draws without a winner.
If there is one winner, they will receive:
Cash Option: approx. $48 million before taxes; $32.6 million after taxes. Annual Payout: approx. $3.4 million per year for 26 years before taxes; $2.3 million per year after taxes.
If no winner Friday, Tuesday’s jackpot will most likely be:
More than $100 million.
Wednesday, May 2, 2001
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Jackpot Rolls to $90 Million! With no jackpot winning ticket sold for the Tuesday drawing, The Big Game jackpot rolled to a astronomical $90 million for the Friday drawing! If you're planning on playing over the Internet at PlayBigGame.com, be sure to beat the rush and get your order in now.
There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $150,000 prize: 2 in Illinois, 1 in Massachusetts, and 2 in Michigan. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Tuesday, May 1, 2001
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Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $77 million Big Game drawing results!
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News Alert: Taxi Tiff Prevents Big Game Payout. A restraining order has been placed against the Georgia Lottery Corporation to prohibit the awarding of the recent $90 million jackpot. The winning ticket was sold in Griffin, Georgia, and is worth a one-time cash payout of nearly $49.5 million. Although the apparent winners of the big prize have not stepped forward, a dispute has eruped among several cab drivers who claim to hold the winning ticket. Related story: Big Game Restraining Order a First.