Lottery News for September, 2002

Monday, September 30, 2002

6:10 am – 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

8:15 am – 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.

3:35 am – 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

7:25 am – 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

5:50 am – 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.

Tuesday, September 24, 2002

7:25 am – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $30 million Big Game Mega Millions drawing results!

Lawmaker says lottery sole hope for more education funding. Approval of the Tennessee lottery referendum Nov. 5 is the only reasonable hope for additional state education funding for the next five years, state Sen. Steve Cohen said Monday.

Tennesseans back lottery referendum by 2-1 margin. Tennesseans continue to support a proposed lottery referendum by a 2-to-1 margin, according to a poll released Monday.

Sunday Lottery for MI?. Beginning Oct. 6, Michigan will have Sunday drawings for the Pick Three and Pick Four games and the Michigan Roll Down.

Monday, September 23, 2002

7:20 am – Lottery sales interrupted. About 360 Kansas lottery vendors were unable to sell Powerball or Kansas lottery tickets Saturday because of a problem with phone lines.

Candidates take chance on lottery. An Oklahoma lottery proposal isn't on this year's election ballot, but it might as well be, as two of the three candidates for governor are making it a major part of their campaigns. More: Gubernatorial hopefuls debate lottery.

Numbers show Texas not big winner in lottery. Texas's lotto game this week saw its jackpot increase by the lowest amount in the game's history.

Store owner smiling after lottery payout. The owner of Casa de Liquor in Rosemead was presented Friday with a check for $152,500 from the California Lottery for selling the winning ticket in the $122 million drawing Aug. 25, the third-largest jackpot in California history.

Saturday, September 21, 2002

3:00 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday drawing, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in Georgia, 1 in Illinois, 1 in Michigan, 1 in New York, and 1 in Virginia. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Friday, September 20, 2002

6:50 am – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $23 million Big Game Mega Millions drawing results!

25 cent lottery tickets offered. The Michigan Lottery will take bets as small as a quarter in the new game "Change Play" starting Oct. 13. More: New game makes cents for lottery.

Gaming states celebrate defeat. To store owners south of the border, North Carolina's lottery defeat Tuesday was like hitting the jackpot. More:

Local residents split on lottery
Lottery fervor may wane
Disappointed voters head to polls Nov. 5
Lottery referendum

Thursday, September 19, 2002

7:35 am – Despite vote against referendum, most voters want lottery, statewide poll shows. State legislators might have voted down a lottery referendum, but most voters in the state say they support a lottery, according to a statewide poll released yesterday. More: Poll Indicates N.C. Voters Support Lottery

Mega Millions win couldn't come at a better time. More about Maureen Morand of Bay City, Michigan, who, as reported yesterday, won a $175,000 Mega Millions prize.

Lottery seems as popular in church circles as witches in Salem. Editorial supporting Tennessee churches rallying against a state lottery.

N.D. Lottery Opponents Form Committee. Lottery opponents have organized their own group to convince North Dakotans to vote no on measure two.

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

6:30 am – N.C. House Kills Lottery Referendum. The state House on Tuesday rejected legislation that would have let North Carolina voters have their say on whether to establish a state lottery. More:

Legislators Reject Lottery Referendum
Democrats pull lottery out of budget
Lottery loses in N.C. House vote
N.C. House refuses to put lottery on ballot
N.C. House says no to lottery referendum
Lottery supporters wonder what to do next after defeat
House nixes lottery referendum
In a major defeat for Easley, House votes 69-50 against putting it on November ballot
House turns down lottery referendum

Rejected Lottery Ticket Is a Winner. A 21-year-old store clerk bought a $10 Power Play ticket because it was rejected by a customer — and then hit the $400,000 jackpot.

$177,540 jackpot disappears Friday. Someone who bought a Florida Fantasy 5 ticket at a food store in the spring could miss out on the chance to collect more than $175,000 if the prize isn't claimed by Friday, lottery officials said.

Naples Lotto winner keeps low profile. Ronald T. Berger finally made a trip to Tallahassee and returned to Naples about $10 million richer.

Recent $175,000 Mega Millions winners from Michigan:

Maureen Morand of Bay City
Brian O' Keefe of St. Clair Shores

Anti-Lottery Group Using Fake Senator to Help Defeat Referendum. His name is Senator Lotto J. Scratchoff, and you'll soon be seeing him at the center of the Tennessee lottery debate.

3:45 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 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.

Tuesday, September 17, 2002

5:05 am – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $17 million Big Game Mega Millions drawing results!

Winning Powerball ticket sold at Indianapolis gas station. The owner of the Indianapolis ticket, which was bought at the Crystal Flash gas station at 1215 S. Girls School Road, had not come forward by noon Monday. More: West Side Store Sells Winning $100m Powerball Ticket.

Poll respondents favor Tennessee lottery. If the vote were taken today, it appears that voters would overwhelmingly approve a Tennessee lottery.

Democrats to include lottery in N.C. budget bill - for now. With a deadline from elections officials looming, North Carolina House Democratic leaders are scurrying to pass a final budget plan that includes a lottery referendum. More: House votes on lottery today.

Lucky in lottery, life. Nelson Marker has won computer sweepstakes, $2002 in the Md. lottery, and the fight against a debilitating disease.

S.C. Lottery prepares for Powerball launch. The S.C. Education Lottery Commission cranked up its marketing efforts Monday as it marched toward the Oct. 5 launch of Powerball, the big jackpot game expected to generate $1 million a week in sales. More: Powerball set to begin Oct. 5.

Kentucky colleges, universities got $38 million from lottery scholarships. Public and private colleges and universities in Kentucky took in nearly $38 million last year from lottery-funded scholarships, according to state figures released Monday.

Recent $175,000 Mega Millions winners from Ohio:

Columbus art museum workers
Erna C. Pengal of Eastlake
Mary E. Henney of Clyde
Thomas E. Ernest of Canal Winchester
Columbus Mitchell of Kent
Robert A. Biscella of New Waterford

Monday, September 16, 2002

6:45 am – Do schools win big at the lottery?. The New York state comptroller says governors have always relied on lottery revenue to pay for education. The governor's office says that's not so.

N.C. lottery, budget may be untied. North Carolina legislative budget negotiators still had not decided late Friday whether to insert lottery language in the state spending plan. The reason is simple: They have little guarantee that the full legislature will go along with the idea. More:

Odds are lawmakers face lottery vote next week
Legislators are deadlocked over lottery referendum

Lottery draws planned for every day. UK National Lotto operator Camelot is said to be looking at the possibility of having daily draws from next year.

To bet, or not to bet: Readers speak up. The possibility of a Tennessee lottery is one very hot political potato.

Two Winning Tickets To Split $103.5 Million Powerball Jackpot. Two winning tickets, one sold in Indiana and one sold in Pennsylvania, will split a $103.5 million Powerball jackpot.

POLL: North Dakotans support lottery. A new poll shows more than 70 percent support for a North Dakota lottery.

Saturday, September 14, 2002

3:00 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday drawing, but 3 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 1 in Massachusetts, and 1 in Maryland. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Friday, September 13, 2002

6:55 am – 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!

Jessee Bays Jr. of Grand Rapids, MI Collects $10,071,089 Jackpot Prize in September 6, 2002 Mega Millions Drawing. When Jessee Bays Jr. married his wife, Julie, just one short week ago, he never dreamed they would become instant millionaires! Bays was the only Mega Millions player in 10 states to correctly match all six winning numbers in the September 6, 2002 Mega Millions drawing.

Eerie 9-1-1 Lottery Draws Interest. New York Lottery officials said Thursday that 5,631 people had selected the tragic numbers and that they won $500 each.

N.C. lottery in budget talks. The lottery has always been a controversial subject in the North Carolina General Assembly, and tempers are flaring yet again over the possibility that budget negotiators will insert language in the state budget calling for a statewide lottery referendum.

TX lottery sales up for year. Texas Lottery sales grew nearly five percent during fiscal year 2002, the Lottery Commission said Thursday.

Man finds winning lottery ticket while cleaning out desk. Jay Taylor was cleaning out his desk this week when he found a forgotten lottery ticket. He almost threw it out, thinking it wasn't worth anything. He decided to check the numbers instead and is now $649,000 richer.

Lottery Debate Scheduled for September 23rd. Pro-lottery state senator Steve Cohen will take on Michael Gilstrap of the "Gambling Free Tennessee Alliance."

Lottery winner shares money with his brother and sister. A postal worker from Monmouth County, New Jersey who won a $4.7 million New Jersey Lottery jackpot is sharing the winnings with his two siblings, officials said Thursday.

Thursday, September 12, 2002

7:40 am – NY Lottery Draws 9-1-1 on 9/11. On the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks, a date known as 9-11, the evening numbers drawn in the New York Lottery were 9-1-1.

Newport News retiree wins $175,000 Mega Millions prize. If Harvey Peters of Newport News, Virginia had been looking for a way to help enjoy his retirement, he sure found it in the August 27, 2002 Mega Millions drawing.

Primary tips legislators to big risk in N.C. lottery. Voters handed candidates for the N.C. General Assembly plenty of answers in Tuesday's primary, but they also left several major questions hovering over the campaign to control the legislature. Chief among them: Is a lottery worth the gamble? More: Anti-lottery legislators do well in primaries.

Poll: We feel gambling would help erase crunch. Pennsylvanians favor expanding legalized gambling to raise revenue, according to a statewide survey.

Wednesday, September 11, 2002

8:05 am – A special September 11 message from BigGameLottery.com. On this first anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, we pause to reflect on the events of that terrible day, and the effect on our country. We will return to our regular news coverage tomorrow.

3:00 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 8 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 2 in Illinois, 1 in Massachusetts, 3 in Michigan, and 2 in New York. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

6:20 am – 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!

Lotto winners must decide: lump sum or annual payments. Before the winners of the $85 million Florida Lotto jackpot can begin eyeing where to spend their newfound fortune, they must decide whether to get a lump sum of cash or payments staggered over 30 years.

Monday, September 9, 2002

5:30 am – Washington ushers in Mega Millions era. Since sales for the game began Wednesday, $568,876 in tickets were sold in Washington state, a lottery official said. More: Mega Millions curiosity slowly building.

$85 Million Lottery Jackpot Has Winners. Millions of people in Florida woke up Sunday morning, hoping to be able to put millions of dollars in the bank. It appears that will be a reality, at least for some. More: 7 winners for $85 million Florida Lotto.

N.C. man wins $175,000 Mega Millions Prize. Archibold Osei of Greensboro, NC matched the first 5 numbers in the August 27, 2002 Mega Millions drawing for a $175,000 prize.

N.Y. 2nd Prize Mega Millions claims total $9,975,000. New York Lottery Director Margaret R. DeFrancisco announced nine more Mega Millions second-prize winners from New York State and two other out-of-state winners, each receiving $175,000.

Saturday, September 7, 2002

3:00 am – Jackpot Winner! There was one $17 million jackpot winner from Michigan in the Friday drawing. More details to follow after the winner comes forward to claim their prize.

Also, 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.

Friday, September 6, 2002

8:00 am – Don't forget to check back with us tonight at 11:00 PM Eastern Time for the live $17 million Big Game Mega Millions drawing results!

Lottery fans line up for new game. The slim odds of winning the big jackpot -- about one in 135 million -- didn't stop lines from forming at local lottery retailers Wednesday for the start of Mega Millions, the newest game of chance offered by the Washington Lottery.

N.C. legislative leaders consider ways to reroute lottery vote. North Carolina state legislative leaders said yesterday that they might put a referendum on a state lottery into a conference report on the budget and ask legislators to approve it that way, even though it isn't included in either of the budgets passed by the N.C. House and Senate. More: Lottery may be rolled into budget plan.

Virginia resident claims $175,000 Mega Millions Prize. Iris Fitzgerald of Hopewell, Virginia doesn't play Mega Millions often, but when she does, she says she selects the same numbers each time -- and it finally paid off.

9 players win S.C. lottery's top prize. South Carolina's lottery has paid out its top prize of $100,000 to nine players in the past two weeks, more than five times the average number of weekly winners.

Lottery corruption concerns unfounded, former FBI agent says. As a pro-lottery group unveiled its "Education Lottery Yes!" campaign Thursday, a former Nashville FBI head disputed opponents' claims that a lottery would lead to corruption.

Lottery foes misstate the facts, Cohen says. Tennessee State Sen. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) said Thursday an anti-lottery group is promulgating inaccurate information.

Thursday, September 5, 2002

8:25 am – Lottery Scam Targeting Latinos Takes in $130,000. Scam artists promising riches from a winning lottery ticket have bilked Hispanic residents from the Chicago area to southern Wisconsin, reviving a scheme that has cost victims across the country hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Despite state ruling, Lottery contract still evades MARC. Some of the delays in moving the three-year, $90 million Pennsylvania State Lottery advertising account to Western Pennsylvania have been stripped away, but it's still not known when MARC USA, awarded the account Feb. 28 by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, will begin servicing the lottery.

Wednesday, September 4, 2002

7:05 am – Welcome to residents of Washington state! Today marks the first day of Mega Millions ticket sales in the tenth Mega Millions state.

Mega Millions lottery kicks off today. Washington launches its "Mega Millions" lottery today, joining nine other states to hawk tickets for America's richest jackpots.

Sudden wealth not easy to handle. Most people can only dream about winning the lottery, but financial advisers help clients deal with sudden wealth all the time.

2:25 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday drawing, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 1 in New York, and 3 in Ohio. For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Tuesday, September 3, 2002

7:20 am – 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!

State lottery goes mega. Starting tomorrow, 2,600 retailers in Washington will sell tickets for the multistate Mega Millions lottery, which up until a few months ago was known as The Big Game.

New look for Wash. Lottery. Tony Molica, director of the Washington State Lottery since June, is settling into the job just as he and the agency are taking some gambles of their own.

Yeah, $3.5M helps morale. More on the 11 co-workers who came forward to collect their winnings from the $108 million Mega Millions jackpot.

Baptists to distribute anti-lottery literature. Trucks loaded with anti-lottery literature are leaving Williamson County this week bound for Tennessee Baptists.

Prayers Against State Lottery Urged By Church Opponents. A Greeneville, Tennessee church is involved in efforts to get Christians to pray for the defeat of a proposed state lottery, which will be decided in a referendum on the Nov. 5 statewide ballot.

World Lottery talks progress. The concept of creating an international lottery to include European nations, Australia and some U.S. states, is moving forward.

Poll: Lottery Favored. Arkansas spends too little on its public schools, and a lottery should be part of the solution, according to a poll for the Arkansas News Bureau and Stephens Media Group.

◄ October, 2002 August, 2002 ►