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Lottery News for October 7, 2002

Monday, October 7, 2002

 – S.C. Stores Sell Their First Powerball Tickets.  As tickets for the Powerball game went on sale late Saturday night, South Carolina Education Lottery vendors said that they hope the game will bring them a big jackpot, too.  More:
  • Powerball begins with successful launch
  • Eager S.C. residents turn out in droves to play Powerball
States Manipulate Lottery Dreamers.  Through exhaustive research and surveys, the lotteries know what their players earn, what TV shows they watch, what they read, how much education they have.  They study the colors these people like, whether they are superstitious and if they believe in lucky numbers.
Texas lottery jackpot reduction reversed.  The new acting chief of the Texas Lottery Commission on Friday reversed his predecessor's decision to cut the opening jackpot for the lotto game by $1 million.
Shop assistant sells herself winning Lottery ticket.  A shop assistant who bought a lottery ticket in her own store has told of her shock at scooping an £8.9 million Lotto jackpot.
Jackpot or crackpot? 'Lottery' ad probed.  Three men claiming to be scouting sites for a lottery commercial knocked on an Ohio resident's door Sunday, raising suspicions of both the residents and police.

Saturday, October 5, 2002

 – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday drawing, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey and 1 in Georgia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Friday, October 4, 2002

 – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $12 million Big Game Mega Millions drawing results!
S.C. Woman stole $41,100 in lottery tickets.  A store owner kept and played more than $40,000 in lottery tickets and cashed in the prizes, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division says.
Detective's win at lottery machine is Florida bar's loss.  Accused of operating an illegal lottery machine, the co-owner of Piglet's Sports Bar and Grill is arrested.
Tennesseans still support a lottery.  Polls continue to show that a majority of Tennesseans favor a state lottery to help fund education programs.
Andrew N.S. Glazer: Having fun is key to successful play.  Even professional gamblers ignore their psychology and emotions at their peril.

Thursday, October 3, 2002

 – Senate may not follow House on 'Net gaming bill.  The House on Tuesday passed a bill aimed at banning Internet gambling, but it is not likely to receive Senate approval this year.  More: Bill Could Enjoin ISPs From Running Gambling Ads.
Nevada lottery idea gains momentum.  A proposal for a state-run lottery in Nevada gained momentum on Wednesday when a panel searching for new sources of tax revenue voted to include it in a list of final recommendations it will give to Gov. Kenny Guinn.
Lottery hopes to widen appeal.  The South Carolina Education Lottery will sell the first tickets for Powerball on Saturday at 11:00 pm in the hopes of broadening the appeal of the games to a more affluent customer base.
Lottery Operator Loses Domain Challenge.  UK-based lottery provider Camelot Group has lost a challenge under UK-naming authority Nominet's Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) for the domain name camelotto.co.uk.  The name is a combination of Camelot's name and the new brand name for the UK's national lottery Lotto.

Wednesday, October 2, 2002

 – US House Votes to Block Web Gambling Payments.  The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to outlaw payments to Internet casinos, hoping to choke offshore gambling sites that continue to draw billions of dollars from U.S. customers.  More:
  • US House Passes Anti-Internet Gambling Bill - Dow Jones
  • House Passes Bill to Combat Internet Gambling in the U.S. - NY Times
  • House bars Net gambling payments - MSNBC
  • House votes to limit online gambling - cnet
Nebraska's Amber Alert system aided by lottery.  While many states across the nation have activated fundamentally similar Amber Alert missing child identification systems, Nebraska is but one of two states to include its state lottery in the program's list of aiding network links.
Michigan Lottery to Begin Sunday Drawings on October 6.  The Michigan Lottery will begin implementing Sunday drawings on October 6, 2002, and the games that will immediately be impacted are the Daily 3 and 4 (both midday and evening) and Michigan Rolldown.
Recent $175,000 New York Mega Millions winners:
  • Queens County Family
  • Nassau County Housekeeper
  • Five more big winners
S.C. budget depending on big win with Powerball.  The signs are up and in five days Powerball will power up in South Carolina.
Nevadans Have Mixed Views on Lottery.  Several lawmakers are pushing for a state lottery to reduce Nevada's budget deficit.  The state's budget is more than $300 million in the red, and some say a state lottery could help replenish the funds without new taxes.
 – The were no jackpot winners and no $175,000 winners in the Tuesday drawing.  For the complete rundown of winners in each of the other prize categories, see the Winning Combinations page.

Tuesday, October 1, 2002

 – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $10 million Big Game Mega Millions drawing results!
Lawmakers debate Net gambling.  The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act, would make it unlawful for banks, credit card companies, and other financial firms knowingly to transfer money to Internet gambling sites.  More: House vote one hurdle for Internet gaming ban.
History of lotteries is one of trial and error.  The term "lottery" is taken from the Italian root word, lotto, which means destiny or fate...

Monday, September 30, 2002

 – Mt. Prospect, Illinois Store Sells $37 Million Mega Millions Ticket.  White Hen Pantry at 1580 S. Busse Rd., Mt. Prospect, Illinois will receive 1 percent of the value of the jackpot, or $370,000, for selling the winning Mega Millions ticket.  The winning ticket-holder has not yet stepped forward, lottery officials said.  Roger Herrmann, who has owned the White Hen at that location for 27 years, said this is the first time his store has sold a winning ticket.  Herrmann said he has no idea who the winner is, but he believes the ticket was sold Friday evening, just before the jackpot drawing.
Polls Say Tennessee Will OK Lottery.  Poll after poll brings good news for lottery supporters and bad news for some fervent religious leaders.
Introducing: Changes to Powerball.  Official Powerball Group press release describing the changes that will occur for the October 9 drawing.
Michigan player stunned By $175,000 Mega Millions win.  Craig Elliott could hardly believe his eyes when he matched the first five numbers in the September 20 Mega Millions drawing to win a $175,000 prize.
S.C. dreams of Powerball millions.  South Carolina lottery officials are betting that Powerball, with a minimum jackpot of $10 million, will lure new players, even if the odds of winning the big prize are long.  More: Powerball to roll into S.C..
Representative suggests lottery for budget woes.  A state lottery should be seriously considered as a way to help Nevada climb out of its financial deficit, according to the Reno representative on a panel reviewing Nevada tax laws.
A state-by-state look at recent gambling-related developments.  A brief look at recent gambling-related developments in some states around the nation.
Some facts and figures about state lotteries.  Some facts and figures about state lotteries.

Saturday, September 28, 2002

 – Texas lottery panel names replacement for director.  After deliberating for almost three hours behind closed doors Friday, the Texas Lottery Commission named Gary Grief as the acting director of the agency to replace Linda Cloud, who abruptly resigned earlier this week.  More: Lottery commission names acting director.
Powerball kickoff begins; games to start Oct. 5.  South Carolina will be the only state in the Southeast offering Powerball, and South Carolina lottery officials are counting on players from neighboring states for increased sales.
 – Jackpot Winner!  There was one $37 million jackpot winner from Illinois in the Friday drawing.  More details to follow after the winner comes forward to claim their prize.
Also, 7 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 2 in Illinois, 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, September 27, 2002

 – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $37 million Big Game Mega Millions drawing results!
Changes to make it harder to win Powerball jackpot.  The Powerball jackpot will be harder to win but should get larger next month.  Changes in the lottery take effect in the game on Oct. 6, as Powerball tickets go on sale in South Carolina, the 24th state to join the game.
Texas lottery director resigns.  The executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission resigned Thursday, saying her reputation as head of the agency has been compromised.
Texas reducing lotto jackpot, cites slumping sales.  Lotto players with 4 million dollar signs in their eyes got some bad news Thursday: The Texas Lottery Commission is lowering the minimum weekly jackpot from $4 million to $3 million.
GFTA presents case against Tenn. lottery.  Michael Gilstrap, campaign director for the Gambling Free Tennessee Alliance (GFTA) was in East Tennessee Wednesday to present the case the GFTA has against the upcoming state lottery referendum.  Will Tennessee hit the Lottery?.
Andrew N.S. Glazer: Gambling isn't just about rules.  If the most talented gambler can die penniless, it's clear that successful gambling involves much more than understanding rules and strategies.
Bill would block Sunday lottery.  West Michigan legislators who earlier teamed to deal a blow to an Allegan casino have now turned their sights on drawing an end to Sunday lottery winners and vending machine ticket sales.

Wednesday, September 25, 2002

 – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 1 lucky player from New Jersey matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.
Recent $175,000 winners from Michigan:
  • Michael Rusnak of Trenton
  • Robert Sowa of Warren
  • Greg Plagens of Trenton
Richmond, VA woman wins $175,000 Mega Millions prize.  Like many winners, Barbara Sledge of Richmond, Virginia did not believe she had actually won $175,000 playing Mega Millions.
Residents Say Tennessee Lottery Long Overdue.  If Amendment One passes, it would allow, but not require, the Tennessee legislature to establish a lottery.

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