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Lottery News for April, 2004

Friday, April 30, 2004

Thursday, April 29, 2004

 – Powerball Jackpot Reaches $145 Million.  Because no one correctly matched all six numbers in Wednesday's Powerball drawing the jackpot grew to an estimated $145 million, with a cash option of $76.3 million.
Ohio Man Wins $22 Million Lottery Jackpot.  A retired aircraft industry worker from Columbus, Ohio was the sole ticketholder of a winning $22 million Super Lotto Plus jackpot earleir this month, the Ohio Lottery announced Wednesday.
S.C. lottery machines crash on drawing day.  Some North Carolina lottery players hoping to cash in on South Carolina's Powerball lottery walked away with nothing Wednesday after the state's lottery buying network went down.

Wednesday, April 28, 2004

 – N.D. Powerball lottery sales reach $2 million.  In the first month since North Dakota joined the Powerball lottery, more than $2 million worth of Powerball tickets have been sold at the state's 400-plus participating retailers, the state lottery director says.
 – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 10 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in Maryland, 1 in Michigan, 3 in New York, 2 in Texas, and 3 in Virginia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Monday, April 26, 2004

Sunday, April 25, 2004

Saturday, April 24, 2004

 – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 7 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in Illinois, 1 in Michigan, 2 in New York, 2 in Texas, and 1 in Virginia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Friday, April 23, 2004

Thursday, April 22, 2004

 – Scientific Games Reports First Quarter 2004 Results.  Scientific Games Corporation today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2004:  Revenues Increased 51%; Net Income Increased 80% to $20 million; Earnings per Diluted Share were $0.22.
 – Powerball Jackpot Rolls to $103 Million.  Because no one correctly matched all six numbers in Wednesday's Powerball drawing, the jackpot grew to an estimated $103 million, with a cash option of $54.4 million.

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

S.C. Senators welcome lottery windfall.  State senators were excited Tuesday to learn the South Carolina lottery is bringing in more money than expected and, therefore, more money for the state to spend.
 – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 4 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 2 in New Jersey, 1 in Georgia, and 1 in Ohio.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

 – Powerball lottery sales strong in Tennessee.  Lured by tomorrow night's $90 million jackpot in the multistate game, thousands of Tennesseans bought a chance to win the big money yesterday on the first day of Powerball sales in this state.
Kentucky Lottery works to counter revenue loss.  Even as they celebrated the 15th anniversary of the start-up of the Kentucky Lottery — and predicted a strong finish to the fiscal year — lottery officials acknowledged an uncertain future yesterday.

Monday, April 19, 2004

 – Powerball Jackpot Grows To $90 Million.  Because no one correctly matched all six numbers in Saturday's Powerball drawing the jackpot grew to an estimated $90 million, with a cash option of $47.6 million.

Saturday, April 17, 2004

 – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 6 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 in New Jersey, 1 in Illinois, 1 in Michigan, 1 in Texas, and 2 in Virginia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Friday, April 16, 2004

IRS ruling on Lotto fought.  New York Lottery winner Shirley B. Prebola of Greece could end up a $1.3 million loser if the Internal Revenue Service has its way.
 – Wiretap equipment gets Lottery official fired.  A half-joking quip about wiretapping equipment sparked an internal investigation that led to the April 2 firing of the Ohio Lottery's human resource director and a continuing criminal probe by the State Highway Patrol.
GTech Profit Up as Lottery Sales Rise.  GTech Holdings Corp., a leading lottery systems operator, on Thursday said quarterly earnings rose 14 percent, on acquisitions and higher lottery ticket sales driven by big jackpots.
Tennessee Lottery yields $64M for scholarships.  The transfer of $63,774,000 from the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. to the bank account for scholarships represents the profits since the first scratchoff tickets were sold Jan. 20.

Thursday, April 15, 2004

 – Powerball Jackpot Soars to $75 Million.  Because no one correctly matched all six numbers in Wednesday's Powerball drawing, the jackpot grew to an estimated $75 million, with a cash option of $41.7 million.
 – The Two Titans of the Lottery Industry.  For investors, the curious thing about the lottery business is that once you peel back the glossy governmental layer, it's virtually a duopoly.  Practically all of the games in this country are managed directly or indirectly by just two companies: Rhode Island-based GTech Holdings and New York-based Scientific Games.

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

Wisconsin Lottery sorts mixup on Badger 5 numbers.  The Wisconsin Lottery will pay on two sets of winning numbers from Monday's Badger 5 drawing after a mix-up caused confusion over which five numbers were actually drawn, a lottery official said Tuesday.
 – 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 Georgia, 1 in Michigan, and 1 in Virginia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Minnesota Senate wants lottery examined.  After soundly rejecting a call to abolish the state lottery, Minnesota senators voted unanimously Monday night to study ways to change its management and business practices.
Lottery is bright spot in S.C. revenue.  The South Carolina lottery has funded more than 300,000 college scholarships and sent tens of millions of dollars to aid primary education, buy new school buses and support an endowment fund for the state's three research universities, said Ernie Passailaigue, the lottery's executive director.
Texas Lottery sales up for the year.  Overall lottery ticket sales are up this year even as Lotto Texas, the state-run big jackpot game, is down about 26 percent, Texas Lottery Commission officials said Monday.

Monday, April 12, 2004

 – Man bets all on roulette and wins.  A British man who sold all his possessions, including his clothes, stood in a rented tuxedo on Sunday surrounded by family and friends and bet everything on a single spin of the roulette wheel — and won.

Saturday, April 10, 2004

 – Make Mega Millions a Better Game.  After you check your tickets, be sure to take a minute to sign the Megaplier Petition.  Only Texas players currently have the Megaplier, which allows them to multiply their non-jackpot prizes, just like Powerball players can.  If you want this feature in your state, we urge you to sign the Megaplier Petition to let your state Lottery Director know!
Jackpot Winner!  There was one $105 million jackpot winner from Maryland in the Friday Mega Millions drawing.  More details to follow after the winner comes forward to claim their prize.
Also, 22 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, 8 in New York, 3 in Ohio, and 1 in Virginia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Friday, April 9, 2004

 – Elderly Woman Loses $10,000 In Lottery Scam.  Tampa, Florida Police are looking for a man and woman involved in scamming an elderly woman out of $10,000 by convincing her they held a winning lottery ticket.
 – California Lottery CEO Resigns.  California Lottery chief executive officer and director Anthony Molica has resigned after only seven months, a lottery representative confirmed.
 – Man to bet all on Vegas roulette spin.  A British man who has sold all his possessions, including his clothes, will stand in a rented tuxedo on Sunday and bet everything on a single spin of the roulette wheel.

Thursday, April 8, 2004

 – Powerball Jackpot Reaches $57 Million.  Because no one correctly matched all six numbers in Wednesday's Powerball drawing the jackpot grew to an estimated $57 million, with a cash option of $31.4 million.
Georgia to scale back lottery-funded HOPE program.  The nation's most sweeping lottery-funded scholarship program was reined in Wednesday by Georgia lawmakers, who trimmed the popular HOPE scholarships out of fear they will soon cost more than lottery revenues can provide.

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

 – Mega Millions Jackpot Soars to $105 Million.  What would you do with $105 million?  That's what Lottery players everywhere are thinking as they place their order for Friday night's Mega Millions drawing.
 – Tennessee Senator criticizes Lottery vacation, sick leave policy.  For employees of the Tennessee Lottery, it could pay not to get sick.  Employees can build up sick days and be paid for half of the unused ones when they leave.  They earn one day per month, and there's no maximum on how much can be accrued or rolled over from year to year.
 – 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: 1 in Illinois, 4 in New York, 2 in Ohio, and 1 in Texas.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Tuesday, April 6, 2004

 – Ohio Woman Guilty in Mega Millions Case.  A woman who claimed that she bought and lost a $162 million lottery ticket was found guilty Tuesday of filing a false police report.  She was fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
 – Tennessee lottery puts dent in Southern Kentucky sales.  Kentucky Lottery retailers along the Tennessee border have seen a slowdown in sales since Tennessee's lottery started Jan. 20 with four scratch-off games, and is expected to get worse this summer once Tennessee starts selling popular Powerball tickets.
Kiosk nets $10,000 for winning Lotto sale.  Customer at the Mall News Stand in Port Richey, Florida hope that lightning will strike twice after news broke that the kiosk sold Saturday's winning $3 million Lotto ticket.

Monday, April 5, 2004

 – GTech to buy Leeward Islands Lottery.  GTech Holdings Corp., the world's largest lottery systems operator, on Monday said it would acquire a lottery operator based in the Caribbean for $40 million in cash.
 – Powerball Jackpot Grows to $47 Million.  Because no one correctly matched all six numbers in Saturday's Powerball drawing the jackpot grew to an estimated $47 million, with a cash option of $26.1 million.
Texas Lottery 2003 sales rank in top 10 worldwide.  The Texas Lottery ranks in the top 10 of worldwide lotteries in terms of total sales for the calendar year 2003, according to La Fleur's Magazine, which annually calculates sales of all lotteries around the world.

Saturday, April 3, 2004

 – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 7 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 2 in New Jersey, 1 in Georgia, 1 in Massachusetts, 2 in Michigan, and 1 in New York.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Winning Combinations page.

Friday, April 2, 2004

 – Hundreds Sign Megaplier Petition; Still Seeking More.  The grass-roots drive to add the Megaplier to all eleven Mega Millions states is still going strong, as lottery players from all over the nation add their names to the petition.  Megaplier.com is operated by Mega Millions players whose sole motivation is to enable all Mega Millions players to have the option to multiply their prizes with the MegaplierEditor:  BigGameLottery.com fully supports and endorses the efforts of Megaplier.com, and we would like to see the Megaplier option available to all Mega Millions players.  We encourage all of our visitors to sign the petition.

Thursday, April 1, 2004

 – Virginia hoping the joke's not on them.  Virginia Lottery officials said yesterday that they believe that the winner of last month's $239 million prize has finally, through a lawyer, come forward and is expected to provide the winning Mega Millions ticket for confirmation today.  On the other hand, maybe someone is playing the ultimate April Fools' joke.

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