In just nearly two years, an English couple who won a £114.9 million (US$153.7 million) EuroMillions jackpot, the fourth largest awarded by the UK National Lottery since its inception, have already given away half of their winnings to friends, family and charities.Winner Stories, UK National Lottery, Jackpots, Euro Millions, Charity, Multi-Country Game
A man from Massachusetts is suing the New Hampshire Lottery Commission following a claim that the Lottery owes him either a gold bar or about $750,000, the approximate equivalent of a standard gold bar’s worth.Legal, Scratch Games, New Hampshire, Lawsuit
Starting next year, 16- and 17-year-olds will no longer be able to play the National Lottery. In a move to curb the potential development of harmful gambling habits in a rapidly evolving digital age, the UK government announced that they will be raising the legal age to play the lottery to 18.Legal, UK National Lottery, Retailer, General Interest, Government
50 players walked away from the Mass Cash drawing on Sunday, Dec. 6 with a claim to the $100,000 top prize, breaking the state’s previous all-time record of 34 jackpot winners in one drawing.Massachusetts, Unusual, Winning Ticket Announcement, Record, Pick 5
A scammer from New Jersey tricked three elderly women across the country into sending her over $675,000 by convincing them that they owed “prepaid taxes” as a prerequisite for claiming a prize that didn’t exist.New Jersey, Indiana, Scam, Kentucky, Law Enforcement, Fraud, Arrest, Crime, Hawaii
A woman was confused when a retailer told her that they wouldn’t be able to pay out her winning ticket. As it turns out, the numbers she played every week for 20 years earned her a X Lotto top prize of $1 million (US$743,400).Winner Stories, International, Australia
An unusually perfect series of sequential numbers that came up in South Africa’s most recent PowerBall drawing has led to accusations of fraud, while others jumped in to defend the integrity of a game based on pure luck and chance.International, Winning Ticket Announcement, Technology, Computerized Drawings
The cat’s out of the bag — two kitties might have helped one woman win a $1,180 Illinois Lottery Pick 4 prize.Winner Stories, Illinois, Pick 4, Mystical
Skill Lotto Solutions have been fighting against India’s GST on lotteries for some time now, and they have just received their final blow. The Supreme Court has ruled that the tax does not amount to hostile discrimination against them, nor does it violate their constitutional rights.
The December 3 ruling upholds the validity of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, allowing authorities to tax lotteries. Skill Lotto had hoped to set aside the definition of what “goods” are, saying it was “discriminatory and violative” against them. The court, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, declared:
“We are of the view that definition of goods under Section 2(52) of the Act..does not violate any constitutional provision nor it is in conflict with the definition of goods given under Article 366(12). Article 366 clause(12) as observed contains an inclusive definition and the definition given in Section 2(52) of Act, 2017 is not in conflict with definition given in Article 366(12).
“…The Parliament was fully empowered to make laws with respect to goods and services tax. Article 246A begins with non obstante clause that is ”Notwithstanding anything contained in Articles 246 and 254, which confers very wide power to make laws.”
A group of ten public workers from Ohio who call themselves “The Lucky Ten” just split a $5.9 million Classic Lotto jackpot after spending 16 years playing the lottery together on a weekly basis.Winner Stories, Ohio, Jackpots, Pool
Surmounting astronomical odds, one Florida man is taking home a $5 million lottery jackpot after having won a $1 million grand prize three years ago.Florida, Winner Stories, Scratch Games, Won multiple times
Players who are tired of traveling to claim centers or mailing away their winning lottery tickets to claim their prizes will soon have a new option. Next spring, the Massachusetts Lottery will begin allowing players to claim larger prizes through their phones.Massachusetts, Technology, Announcement, General Interest, Headquarters
A team of lottery winners from the United Kingdom have been working together to make Christmas happen a little earlier this year by gifting holiday baskets to charity workers and care staff who look after the elderly.Winner Stories, UK National Lottery, After the Big Win, Holiday, Charity, Christmas
Have a wonderful day, filled with thoughts of all the things to be thankful for.Lottery Post, Holiday
For those who can pick up on the subtleties and envision the larger picture, they can see that major changes are coming to the global gaming space. The shift won’t happen overnight, but, when the gaming industry looks back ten years from now, it’s going to see a completely different environment. The latest hint of what’s to come is being provided by Svenska Spel in Sweden, which is now testing paperless lottery ticket purchases. The move to a more digital-focused gaming ecosystem continues.
Svenska Spel has teamed up with a local convenience store chain, Pressbyrån, to introduce a pilot program that will use “coupon free” lottery purchases. In four of the company’s stores – those in Kalma, Jönköping, Östersund and Stockholm, lottery players will be able to select their numbers and have them registered through digital devices that are connected to Svenska Spel’s network, foregoing the printing of any ticket stubs to be carried around in wallets.
Upon registering through the system with Svenska Spel’s system, which will require players to verify themselves with their social security numbers, the lottery numbers will then be stored in the player’s own digital account. Explains Svenska Spel’s Torgny Lilja, “We had a meeting with [Pressbyrån operator] Reitan about a year ago where we presented the self-service screens connected to a new surface-efficient platform. Reitan felt that this should suit their customers and staff. The advantage for Pressbyrån’s employees is that they also save time by not having to top up coupons and update campaign material.”
That study revealed that the physical lottery machines are starting to become more of a nuisance than an aid for retailers. They take up too much space and require employees to be involved in the issuance and processing of tickets, taking away valuable time that could be spent helping other customers. It also frees up counter space that could be used for other products or services.
More often than not, it’s the prize winners who use their winnings to perform generous acts and good deeds. This Thanksgiving, a convenience store that received a $3,500 commission for selling a lottery ticket worth $350,000 is using those extra funds to give back to the community by providing meals to the hungry.South Carolina, Retailer, Holiday, Charity
Changes to the claims process at the Kansas Lottery are effective today, Nov. 23, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases across the state.Kansas, Announcement, Headquarters, Medical
A North Carolina man played the Virginia Lottery and took a big leap by buying 20 identical lottery tickets. The result? He took home 20 top prizes totaling $100,000.Virginia, Winner Stories, North Carolina, Pick 4, Won multiple times
Ten years after selling the first Mega Millions lottery ticket in the state, Wisconsin finally had its first jackpot winner come forward to claim a $120 million Mega Millions prize from the Sept. 15 drawing.Mega Millions, Winner Stories, Jackpots, Wisconsin, Multi-State Game
A brother and sister from Alberta, Canada, were both skeptical when they scanned their lottery ticket and found that it was the winner of a $1 million (US$766,270) Lotto 6/49 prize for the Guaranteed Prize Draw on Nov. 4.Winner Stories, Western Canada, Canada, Canada Lotto 6/49, Raffle