Lottery Moments » Random Facts

Holiday Jackpots in the Stratosphere: Mega Millions at $173,000,000, Powerball at $125,000,000. Someone is Gonna Have a Merry Christmas (or a Happy New Year)

DocLotto — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:45:55 +0000

The lottery Gods have lined up two HUGE jackpots for the taking.

The Dec. 23 $173 million Mega Millions jackpot is especially green, while Saturday’s $125 million Powerball jackpot is merry and bright.

Merry Christmas, players.

The Mega Millions jackpot has grown since Nov. 4, rolling 14 times. Powerball has rolled nine times since Nov. 23.

It only takes $1 to play Mega Millions and Powerball for a chance to unwrap an enchanted jubilee. Players can multiply prizes with the Megaplier and Power Play options for an additional $1 per play.

Mega Millions offers two jackpot payment options: approximately $6.6 million a year for 26 years with the annuity option, or a single payment worth approximately $129 million with the cash option.

Powerball offers two jackpot payment options: the jackpot prize paid over 29 years in 30 graduated payments, or the cash option, which is approximately $80 million.

Good luck, everyone.

Instant Tickets: Answering Some Questions On Your Mind. Like, “How Do You Know if All the Prizes Advertised for an Instant Game are Really There?”

DocLotto — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:49:51 +0000

I don’t know why, but over the last few days I’ve had a few people asking me…”How do I know all the prizes advertised for an instant game are really there?”

Ok… after making a few calls to Lottery business contacts I have here is my best take:

After a lottery decides on the theme of an instant game, it determines the prize structure.

First, the lottery defines the percentage of total sales that will be dedicated to the prize fund. Then, that money is divided among the various prize levels, say $2, $5, $10, $1,000 and so on.

When the prize structure is complete, the odds of winning are verified; this means they meet the criteria set for the game.

The approved prize structure goes to the printer.

The printer uses the information to create software to print the tickets. And it is designed and checked for accuracy.

After the game has been completed the printer provides the lottery with a list of winning tickets, identifying the total number of prizes in each category, BUT NOT THE LOCATIONS.

Independent auditors, meanwhile, check the game to ensure the tickets were printed according to the prize structure.

The lotteries publish the game information, including the list of the odds of winning.

The list identifies the prize levels and the number of winning tickets for each level. After the game is closed, the lottery can verify the audited information by checking its validation files for the claimed winnings.

Whew. OK?

Big Changes Coming to America’s Powerball Game at Turn of the Year

DocLotto — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:00:52 +0000

If you’re a Powerball freak, as I am…be prepared. Be very very prepared.

On Jan. 15, 2012, the multistate game will get a facelift, including a starting jackpot that doubles to $40 million, better odds of winning and a $1 million match-5 prize.

In order to provide these game enhancements, the cost of a ticket will increase to $2.

The decision to change the game was necessitated by a 96 percent increase in player population when 11 additional lotteries joined the game in Feb. 2010.

“With greater participation, fewer drawings occur before jackpots reach higher levels and these jackpots are getting hit faster,” explained Louisiana Lottery President Rose Hudson. “Player research indicates Powerball is played primarily for the opportunity to win a life-changing jackpot, so to sustain the game’s long-term success considering the different gaming options available to today’s players, the changes focus on what players have come to expect from the brand – bigger jackpots and more millionaires, while also giving them better odds of winning.”

Toward that end, Powerball’s starting jackpot will double from $20 million to $40 million with a minimum $10 million increase each time the jackpot rolls. In addition, the average jackpot size will increase from $144 million to $222 million. Odds of winning the jackpot will decrease from 1 in 195.2 million to 1 in 175.2 million.

The match-5 prize for matching all five white ball numbers, but missing the red Powerball number will increase from $200,000 to $1 million, and the prize for matching only the red Powerball number will increase from $3 to $4.

The overall odds of winning any prize will go from 1 in 35 to 1 in 32.

To produce these game enhancements, four numbers will be removed from the field of red Powerball numbers for a total of 35 and the cost of a ticket will increase to $2.

Power Play, the $1 add-on option to Powerball, will also change to no longer involve a multiplier number.

Instead, when players add Power Play to their ticket for an additional $1 per play, they will have the chance to increase any nonjackpot prize won to a set amount. These new Power Play replacement prizes are at least double the original Powerball prize amount, and range from $12 for matching just the Powerball to $2 million for matching all five white ball numbers.

“The Lottery has always prided itself on offering a product mix that promotes a variety of games with price points, play-styles, odds and top prizes to meet our players’ different preferences,” said Hudson. “By launching Mega Millions on Nov. 16 and with these enhancements coming to Powerball in January we’re giving our players even more choices for playing big jackpot games four times a week!”

With the world’s largest starting jackpot, Powerball is currently played in 44 jurisdictions across the nation. The Louisiana Lottery joined Powerball in 1995 and has had 14 jackpot winners to date. The last Powerball game change occurred in January 2009 when Florida joined the game.

More on this as we approach the New Year.

And the Survey Says: Even Lottery Winners Would Continue Clipping Coupons

DocLotto — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:06:09 +0000

Did you see that survey released the other day by Redplum.com, which showed that nearly 100 percent (OK, 95 percent) of people surveyed said that even if they won a big time lottery like Mega Millions or Powerball, they’d still clip coupons.

No surprise there.

I’ve told my wife I’d do the same…when we win. [We haven't yet.]

I lived in Palm Beach (no…not that I own one of those mansions…but I was editor of a major magazine there)… and I could never imagine the super rich couponing anything. In fact, they never shopped…had the hired help do that.

But once you get in the habit, why stop? It’s fun.

Here are some of the results of the survey:

56% of 13- to 17-year-olds now use digital or traditional coupons.

76% of all respondents indicated that a newspaper was still their main source for coupons.

77% said they save $11 or more each week with coupons, compared to 67% in 2010. Good for us!!!!

60% comb through print sources for up two hours a week in search of deals, while 31% surf the net for three hours or more looking for digital codes that will beget the bargains.

So here is the big test. Anyone out there who’s reading this …. what do YOU think about coupon clipping? And what would YOU do if you won a major jackpot…stop clipping?

How to Play: SuperEnalotto, Italy’s Big Money Lottery Game

DocLotto — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:58:17 +0000

I have a lottery-playing friend who is going to Rome (with his family) early in September and the other day he asked me about Italy’s big money game, SuperEnalotto.

“How do I play?” he asked me.

He’s not the only one to ask me about this game…which produces some of the biggest jackpots in Europe. Far outpacing, it seems to me, Euro Millions…which in itself rolls over a lot.

So, OK…for those of you who don’t follow the game, which holds drawings three times a week, here goes:

SuperEnalotto, at least the most recent version, has been around since 1997.

This version is an updated version of the original Italian Enalotto game that was played in the 1950s.

So there is a big and long history here.

The Italian government, by the way, receives a little over 50% of all lottery proceeds from tickets purchased. Pretty hefty cut, I’d say. Most lotteries in Europe take about 30 percent.

There are 90 balls in the lottery draw, which leads to gigantic rollover jackpots.

You can buy tickets online, which I think has increased the popularity of the Italian SuperEnalotto.

It is also tax free and paid in one big lump sum.

The same thing that generates huge rollover jackpots is also responsible for unfavorable odds of winning.

Your odds of winning the Italian SuperEnalotto are one in 622,614,630.

To play costs one Euro for two tries.

In order to win the jackpot prize, a player must match (6) numbers between 1-90.

But even if you don’t match all six numbers, there are five prize levels altogether, which greatly increases your chances to win a prize.

In addition to the five prize divisions, there is also a “jolly” number drawn. If a player matches five numbers plus the jolly number, he or she will win a higher amount known as the “5 + Jolly Number” prize.

The “SuperStar” number offers yet another way for players to win!

This number is drawn separately from the main lottery drawing of six numbers and the Jolly number and can be identical to another winning number. It costs extra to play the SuperStar number, but if you match it your winnings may be increased 100-fold or you may win a prize with a fixed payout regardless of whether or not you matched any of the main six numbers.

You must match at least three numbers to win a prize in the SuperEnalotto.

The minimum prize jackpot is $1.3 million Euros.

The SuperEnalotto is played every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8pm, Italian time.

To date, the largest prize was $247,943,104, in U.S. dollars.

So those are the basics.

I play the game. And most certainly, whenever I am in Italy…one of my favorite countries…I LOVE Italy, I always play.

Hell, it’s a cheap bet. Crazy odds. Big rewards.

Ciao.

Pump Up the Volume: As the Search for the $99 Million Mega Millions Winner Continues, Officials Say the Ticket was Bought at a Gas Station

DocLotto — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:06:36 +0000

So, who has the winning Mega Millions ticket?

That’s the question on the minds of millions of Ohioans this morning.

My guess is that the winner(s) is getting his/her/financial house in order before stepping forward. I also think the Mega Millions winner(s) will come forth fairly soon.

I mean, would YOU want to sit on $99,000,000…. or would you want the cash A.S.A.P.?

Gimme the money.

But that’s me.

An Ohio lottery official says a winning ticket for the Mega Millions lottery jackpot was sold at a gas station in northeastern Ohio.

Ohio Lottery spokeswoman Marie Kildane says the winning jackpot ticket for Friday’s drawing was sold at Speedway in Jefferson, 10 miles from the Pennsylvania border.

So it’s possible someone from Pennsylvania drove over the border and bought a ticket.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been accumulating since July 5.

Kildane says the winner can claim the prize anytime. Except weekends.

OH…. and here’s an interesting exercise. Where would you hide the ticket if you had one worth $99 million?

A bank vault?

In a shoe?

In your freezer?

I’ve run into all those scenarios…

Meanwhile, the Aug. 10 Powerball jackpot is a HUGE $220,000,000.

Top 5 Jackpots Around the World; Look For Changes in Powerball Come January 2012

DocLotto — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:01:51 +0000

Euro MIllions is exploding into unchartered territory….for that game, as tonight’s jackpot tops 132 million euros, or about $187.3 million in U.S. dollars. If you are in Europe and one of the nine countries where the game is played, put down a few euros and play. Please.

Here are your top current jackpots:

1. 132 million euros ($187.3 USD),Euro Millions, next game June 28. Game is played in nine European countries, including the U.K., Spain, France, Switzerland, Portugal.

2. $88 million, Mega Millions, June 28

3. $76 million, Powerball, June 29

4. $42 million, SuperLotto Plus, in California only, June 29

5. $36.2 million, Ohio Classic Lotto, June 29, in Ohio only.

Good luck.

Now, about Powerball. In an effort to keep up with, or out-excite lottery players who prefer Mega Millions, Powerball will be changing come next year. I don’t know all the details yet, but I do know that jackpots will begin at $40 million. Also, a single ticket will cost $2 instead of $1. I don’t know how that will go over.

More details next time. I know some folks who run the show, so I’ll find out what I can.

Twice is Nice (in Maryland); Player Wins Second Top Lottery Prize

DocLotto — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:58:41 +0000

Bernard Robison, Jr. is no stranger to the Maryland Lottery winners lounge.

In 2008, Robison won a second-chance Dubble Bubble “Dream Day at the Park” prize, which provided him the opportunity to play baseball with Baltimore Orioles alumni.

Recemtly, the Proctor & Gamble retiree strolled into Lottery Headquarters again.

This time, he was cashing a $50,000 Bonus Match 5 top-tier winning ticket.

He entered with a smile on his face and confidence by his side. “Every time I play, I know I am going to win,” said Bernard. “There is no point in playing if you suspect you may lose.”

Robison, a Harford County, Maryland resident of over 40 years, plays Bonus Match 5often, and says that he always uses the same numbers, which are a combination of important dates and birthdays.

He explained how he first saw his winning numbers on television, and then called the winning numbers line to verify his win. He also described his feeling after he won as “natural.”

This calm, cool, and collected winner has two grown children; a son and a daughter. At the time of speaking with the Lottery, he had not yet told his children of his win. “My daughter had surgery yesterday and I plan on going to visit her right after I leave here to tell her the news,” the excited winner stated. Robison said that he will be giving his children some of his winnings, and may also buy a new car.

“I don’t need much to make me happy,” he explained.

Biggest Jackpots Around the World: Your Top 10

DocLotto — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:59:39 +0000

Big jackpots are everywhere this week, from the U.S. to the U.K. and Europe. Good luck everyone. Here are the top 10 jackpots in play and the date of the next drawings:

1. $127 million, Mega Millions, Mar. 8

2. 80 million euros ($111.8 in U.S. dollars), Euro Millions, Mar. 11 (tickets available in 9 European countries including the U.K., France, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland)

3. $50 million Canadian dollars ($51.4 in USD), Lotto Max, Mar. 11

4. $40 million, Powerball, Mar. 9

5. 27 million euros ($37.2 million USD), SuperEnalotto, Mar. 8 (tickets available only in Italy)

6. $30 million, Lotto Texas, Mar. 9

7. 17.8 million British pounds ($29 million USD), U.K. National 6/49, Mar. 9

8. $24.1 million, Ohio’s Classic Lotto, Mar. 9

9. $11.5 million, New York Lotto, Mar. 9

10. 8 million euros (about $11.2 million USD), the Irish Lotto, Mar. 9

Lottery Jackpots Around the World: Your Top 10

DocLotto — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:46:33 +0000

Here are the top 10 active jackpots around the world.

1. $63 million, Powerball, next draw Feb. 9

2. $30 million Canadian dollars ($30.4 in USD), Lotto Max, Feb. 11

3. $30 million, Mega Millions, Feb. 11

4. $22 million, Lotto Texas, Feb. 9 (tickets available to buy ONLY in Texas)

5. $21.3 million, Classic Lotto Ohio, Feb. 9 (tickets available to buy ONLY in Ohio)

6. 15 million euros ($20.4 million USD), Euro Millions, Feb. 11 (tickets can be bought in 9 European countries, including the U.K., Spain, Portugal, France and Switzerland)

7. $14 million, Loto, Feb. 9 (tickets can only be bought in Puerto Rico)

8. $9 million, Lotto Florida, Feb. 9 (tickets can only be bought in Florida)

9. $7.5 million, Lotto New York, Feb. 9 (tickets can only be bought in New York state)

10. $7 million, SuperLotto Plus, Feb. 9 (tickets can only be bought in California)

Again, good luck to everyone.