A “Signs” of the Times; Infrequent Illinois Lottery Player Wins $1,000,000
Brad Bryner of Kewanee, Illinois plays the Lottery only on rare occasions—when the mood strikes or the Mega Millions/Powerball jackpot nears $200 million.
Hey, nothing wrong with that.
so, perhaps it was the spirit of the season, but something compelled him December 23 to buy a Merry Millionaire ticket. That ticket turned out to be a $1million winner, resulting in a very merry Christmas for Bryner and his family.
Bryner, 43, and his wife, Dawn, didn’t initially know they won anything on the ticket; in fact, Bryner tried to enter the ticket via the internet as a non-winner in a special Merry Millionaire second-chance promotion. Bryner’s ticket, however, was not accepted as a valid entry (because it was a winner).
Upon closer examination, Brad and Dawn realized the ticket was indeed a big winner. “I kept getting the ticket out and looking at it,” he said.
Dawn told him, “it sure looks like a winner,” but the couple wasn’t 100 percent convinced until they drove to Illinois’ lottery headquarters in Springfield in early January to present the ticket to Lottery officials, who confirmed its validity.
Brad and Dawn, 36, own a sign business in Kewanee, Say It Signs, and will invest Read more
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Posted on January 24, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Lottery, Lump Sum, Stories
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New Game Rules, Great Results for Powerball Millionaires in New Mexico
Larry and Cynthia Martinez of Blanco, New Mexico claimed the nation’s first $1 million prize in the new Powerball game.
The Martinez’ ticket for the game’s Jan. 18 drawing matched the white ball numbers of 6, 29, 34, 44 and 50 to win a second-place prize of $1 million. Previously, the prize for matching five white balls was $200,000.
Larry Martinez selected his numbers, a combination of the month and year he was born and digits from an old workplace identification badge. They discovered their good fortune yesterday evening while watching the news.
“I was making supper and I said, ‘Larry, you need to pay attention. They’re calling out numbers,’” Cynthia Martinez recalled.
“I kind of freaked out,” Larry Martinez said. “I wondered ‘How did I win $1 million?’”
As newly minted millionaires, the couple plans to make investments and share the prize with their three sons and grandson.
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Posted on January 21, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Lottery, Lump Sum, Stories
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There is One Winning Euro-Millions Ticket for the Jan. 20 Draw; Are You the Winner of $63 Million (in U.S. Dollars)?
The winning numbers in the Jan. 20 Euro Millions draw are 2,10,22,27,28 and lucky balls 6,8.
There was one winning ticket.
I’ll let you know where (and in what country) that winning ticket was bought as soon as I can.
Meanwhile, congratulations to the winner.
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Posted on January 21, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Culture, European, Lottery
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Mechanic Tinkers with the N.Y. Lottery, Wins $1,000,000
With worries about the future now a thing of the past, Jamestown resident Warren Conklin said he’s ready for what lies ahead.
You betcha.
The 48-year-old Chautauqua County, New York, man won a $1,000,000 top prize on the New York Lottery’s Empire State Millionaire scratch-off game.
“It’s a Godsend, really,” said Conklin, the head maintenance mechanic at a private label bottling plant in Dunkirk. “I don’t have to worry about the future anymore.”
Conklin credited his girlfriend with purchasing his $1,000,000 winner. “She ran to the store to get some cream for her coffee,” he said. “I asked her to get some Lottery tickets for me, and this is one of the tickets she picked; simple as that.”
Conklin remembers the moment he realized Read more
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Posted on January 20, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Lottery, Lump Sum, Stories
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Paper Mill Operator Wins “Extreme Green” … $200,000 Top Prize
Lori Hurdle, a paper mill operator from Williamston in Martin County, North Carolina, plans to use a portion of the $200,000 prize she won playing Extreme Green scratch game to pay off her home.
Pretty cool, huh?
Hurdle arrived to claim her winnings in a brand new Chevrolet Silverado truck.
Hurdle decided to purchase four instant scratch-off tickets after she claimed with some Powerball winnings. She won on three of the four tickets, including a $5 prize, a $20 prize and the $200,000 top prize on the first ticket she scratched.
“I scratched off the first one and thought I had won $20,” Hurdle said. “Then maybe $2,000. The zeroes just kept coming. I can pay everything off now. It feels pretty good.”
Hurdle, who also may purchase some land with any leftover winnings, received $136,001 after taxes were withheld.
MEANWHILE, those of you who play Powerball (as I do), what do you think about the changes? Me? I don’t like the idea of having to put down $2 for a ticket. I do like the $40 million starting minimum jackpot.
Let me know what you think. Will you cut back on your playing?
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Posted on January 18, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Lottery, Lump Sum, Stories
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New Powerball Rules Begin Jan. 15; Bigger Baseline Jackpot ($40 Million), But Tickets Cost More
As most of you know, I was in the lottery business from 1999 to 2011. I’ve written two books about lotteries and blogged for about four years now.
My new book (updated the one you see on the right) will be out next Fall, both in print and as an ebook.
During those years I worked closely with the folks at Powerball (although, to be honest, I was paid by California, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington D.C.), although I was never paid by them. So with all the changes being made, I asked my contact to send me his officials comments explaining the changes and how things work. This, you’ll see below:
“Change is hard. Even good changes.
“Powerball is changing and since it is just easier to talk about the “bad” changes (in this case raising the price per play to $2), we are more than a little nervous about these changes. But we also know that, if players give it a chance, Powerball will be an even better game.
“We are pulling some of the red ball numbers from the drum. Say goodbye to 36, 37, 38, and 39. That means that the odds of hitting the jackpot drop from 1 in 195 million to 1 in 175 million.
“Still, since we are nearly doubling the money now going to the jackpot, the average jackpot hit will jump from about $141 million to about $255 million. The new Powerball jackpot should also jump more quickly. The guaranteed starting jackpot will double from $20 million to $40 million and will jump twice as fast, by at least $10 million each draw.
“The second prize (Match5+0) is quintupling from $200,000 to $1 million cash (effective Jan 18). We know that no one plays Powerball to win $1 million, but that continues to be the most common suggestion we get: “Instead of paying out $100 million, why not give 100 people $1 million?” We know that the vast majority of players come to Powerball for the big jackpots, but we decided to try giving out lots of $1 million prizes anyway.
“Last year, Powerball awarded about 500 Match 5 prizes. If the game had been in place last year, those would have been $1 million prizes. All U.S. lotteries award about 1,000 $1 million prizes per year, so Powerball alone could be increasing that by half.
“Since there are now only 35 red balls in the drum, it is easier to match the red ball – and you always win a prize if you match the red ball number (either alone or with one or more white ball numbers). The overall odds of winning any prize in the game also get easier. And the lowest cash prize is now $4 (the price of two tickets; we hope you decide to do that). While changing the lowest prize from $3 to $4 may not seem like much, a lot of folks win that prize and it is very expensive for us.
“Now that Mega Millions and Powerball are available (nearly) everywhere, players don’t have enough variety. Powerball is now a premium lotto game with higher and faster growing jackpots (most of the time; Mega Millions is still a big jackpot game); a $1 million second prize (second place is no longer the “first loser”); and better overall odds.
“Those players who focus on spending $1 for their dream still have Mega Millions. Those players who are willing to lay out an extra 20 NICKLES for their big dream, a chance at $1 million (virtually a second big game on its own) and betters odds of doubling their spend can choose Powerball.
“Power Play is changing too. The old concept Read more
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Posted on January 16, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Lottery, Lump Sum
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Keeping Up with the Joneses; Idaho Man Almost Throws Away $200,000-Winning Ticket
Every now and then there are heartwarming stories during the holiday season that just make you believe that good luck does happen and good things do come to those who are deserving.
On December 18, 2011, believing he had a non-winning ticket, Donny Jones of Idaho Falls nearly threw his $1 Powerball ticket away.
At the encouragement of his wife, Connie, he checked the remaining numbers on his ticket. They all matched. Except for the Power number.
Jones was a $200,000 Powerball winner.
“I just don’t believe I’m the big winner!” exclaimed Jones when he officially claimed his ticket. I’m still stunned.”
Born with a disability, Jones has lived in Idaho Falls since 1970 and has overcome many challenges in his life. He has worked for the Hometown Kitchen Restaurant on 17th Street in Idaho Falls for the past 16 years, starting as a dishwasher and working his way up to being the cook. He’s been married to Connie for the past 10 years.
“Winning made for a good Christmas,” added Jones who plans to Read more
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Posted on January 14, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Lottery, Lump Sum, Stories
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U.S. Navy Officer Sails Away with $100,000 Prize
Edward Price thought he had been tricked.
He was holding in his hand what appeared to be a Virginia Lottery Scratcher ticket worth $100,000. His first thought was that it must be fake.
“Who got me?” he later recalled thinking.
It wasn’t a prank.
Price won the top prize in the Lottery’s Read more
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Posted on January 12, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Lottery, Lump Sum, Stories
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Spain Might Be in Fiscal Crisis, But Ask the Winners of “EL Gordo,” the World’s Biggest Lottery, How They Feel: “Muy Bueno”
Spain has had a rough year in 2011.
But for the winners of the Dec. 22 El Gordo lottery, things are certainly looking up in 2012.
As you might expect, Spaniards bet heavily on the world’s biggest lottery, the Fat One – El Gordo – which distributed almost €2bn (£1.66bn) to winners around the country in late December.
The main winners were the inhabitants of the small northern country town of Grañén, where €700m of prize money was handed out.
That’s right. 700 million euros in ONE TOWN.
The town and its neighbouring villages are home to just 2,000 people – who won up to €400,000 each after buying shares in the top-paying lottery number.
The money promises to transform this farming community in the northern province of Huesca, which sits on the edge of one of the country’s harshest and most dramatic landscapes, the desert-like region of Los Monegros.
Many of the winners were, like 23 percent of Spaniards, unemployed.
“Now I can stop worrying so much about getting the sack,” a bricklayer called Oscar said after picking up €400,000.
This year the state-owned national lottery increased the size of El Gordo prizes as Spaniards spent an average of €57 each on tickets. That was a slight fall, of 0.5 percent, on last year’s spend.
Those who placed money on the winning number received 20,000 times the sum they had bet. Smaller prizes, some worth just a few euros, went to 27 million punters.
El Gordo’s 100,000 numbers are divided up into fractions, with people placing anything from a few cents to €200 on their chosen number. Among the biggest winners were the members of the Housewife’s Association of Sodeto, a village near Grañén, who shared out millions of euros.
The largest winner, however, is the Spanish state, which keeps 30 percent of the money spent on El Gordo.
El Gordo draw has kicked off Spain’s Christmas celebrations every year since it was first drawn in 1812.
“This makes up for a very bad year in which we have worked hard for very little reward,” said Susana Pérez, who runs a small accountancy firm.
Farmers said they would be paying off bank loans Read more
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Posted on January 11, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Culture, European, Lottery, Lump Sum, Stories
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Business Consultant Strikes it Rich, Wins $1,000,000 Powerball Prize
For one 29-year-old man, it’s out with the old and in with a newly-minted Georgia Lottery prize for the New Year.
Neil Patel won a $1 million Powerball prize from the Dec. 31 drawing.
Patel matched the first five winning numbers, multiplying his winnings when he selected Powerball’s multiplier option.
Patel, who is from Pensacola, Fla., was passing through the state when he stopped.
Talk about luck of the draw.
“I stopped for a Coke and asked for a printout,” he said. “When I saw that those were my numbers, I started shaking and screaming out of control.”
For Patel, the experience seems unreal.
“I woke up on Jan. 1 saying that this would be a good year,” he recalled.
A business strategy consultant, Patel plans to Read more
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Posted on January 10, 2012 by DocLotto | Filed Under Basics, Lottery, Lump Sum, Stories
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