Home » August 2012

Who’s The US Powerball Lotto Winner? Find Out Today – August 31st, 2012

The lottery world has been a whirl of excitement since the winner of the $337 million US Powerball Lotto came forward.

Now it has emerged that Michigan Lottery officials are going to hold a news conference today (August 31st) with the lucky person at its headquarters in Lansing.

All that is known so far is they purchased the winning lottery ticket at a Sunoco gas station in Lapeer, about 45 miles north of Detroit. This means it could be someone from the tiny town, which has a population of just over 8,000, or a motorist simply passing through.

Whoever the person is, they will soon be the third biggest winner in the history of the US Powerball Lotto. They have a mighty big decision on their hands too, as to whether or not to take the lump-sum prize of more than $240 million before taxes or settle for annual payments.

Speaking after the jackpot winner came forward, Michigan Lottery spokeswoman Andi Brancato told the LA Times: “This is an extraordinary amount of money. It is not unusual for people to take a week or ten days to get things together, take a deep breath [and] talk to a financial advisor.”

One of the main reasons why the US Powerball Lotto is so popular is because of the monster jackpots that are regularly on offer. The next draw on Saturday will see $80 million up for grabs, a sum that may encourage a lot of people to purchase a lottery ticket online.

Earlier on this year, the starting jackpot was doubled from $20 million to $40 million, while the minimum jump in between draws is now $10 million instead of $5 million. This has lead to some big top prizes when rollovers have came into effect.

As well as the $337 million handed out earlier this month, 81-year-old Rhode Islander Louise White scooped $336.4 million in March and $241 million was shared between 20 factory workers in Iowa in June.

So for anyone keen on landing a huge jackpot, it seems that the best way forward is to enter the US Powerball Lotto!

Picture Credit: Thinkstock

EuroMillions Winners Show Their Big Heart – August 31st, 2012

Everyone says they will be generous after a big lottery win.

However, actions speak louder than words and Chris and Colin Weir have shown they are not afraid to get their cheque book out if they are touched by a good cause.

EuroMillions Winners Show Their Big Heart August 31st, 2012

The Scottish couple, who scooped £161 million (€185 million) on the EuroMillions last year, have provided the funds so a four-year-old girl with cerebral palsy can fly to the US for pioneering surgery.

Little Isabel Wallis is to be given the chance to live without having to use a wheelchair thanks to the generosity of the Weirs.

Her mum Kate Horne, speaking to the Daily Record, said: “I have been at breaking point trying to look after Isabel, but the generosity of everyone around us has always kept me going.”

She added that “words cannot describe” how happy she was after the Weirs got in touch to say they were willing to help the family out. Kate and Isabel’s dad Rory Wallis have spent the last six months trying to raise enough cash to make the operation a reality and now they are delighted.

However, as the Weirs are now paying for the surgery, it means all of the money they have collected can be used to pay for the intensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy that Isabel will need.

Of course it is not the first time the EuroMillions jackpot winners have made a donation since last July. As well as looking in to setting up a charitable trust, they gave away £130,000 to the construction of a community arts centre in Inverclyde.

They also helped raise £50,000 so 15-year-old Ross Wilson can fulfill his boyhood dream of going to a tennis academy in Barcelona. But their generosity does not stop there, as the Weirs have assisted a young motor racing driver called Gregor Ramsay.

The pair still knows how to enjoy themselves though, as visits to the Great Wall of China and Ayers Rock in Australia were high on their wish list after winning.

If people are interested in getting their hands on a life-changing sum of money, then why not buy a EuroMillions UK ticket online at theLotter.

Picture Credit: PA

£148 Million EuroMillions Winner Heads Back To Work – August 30th, 2012

Since they won £148 million (€190 million) on the EuroMillions earlier this month, Adrian and Gillian Bayford have seen a dramatic change in their lifestyle.

The couple, who have two young kids, scooped the massive jackpot after a run of 14 consecutive rollovers. However, Mr Bayford has shown he is determined to live as normal a life as possible, as he recently went back to work.

He co-owns a music shop in Surrey and when he returned to the store after a short family break found there was sack loads of mail from well-wishers. However, some of the letters were from people looking for financial assistance.

Speaking to the Cambridge News, Mr Bayford observed it is not possible for the family to get back to everyone, but they will be seeking to back some charity initiatives.

“There are letters here from all over the world, but you can’t help everyone. There have even been people coming over from France and Germany to deliver letters in person. We have some ideas of people we would like to help, but we have not made any decisions yet,” he added.

The Bayfords are planning to stay in the same area and Adrian admitted that people have been great since the announcement. He is hopeful, however, that the media attention on them will die down in the coming weeks and months.

Plenty of seven-figure sums have been handed out by the EuroMillions over the summer and yet another one has come forward. A man from Dorset, who has chosen to remain anonymous, has claimed £1 million from the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Raffle held on the opening night of the Olympic Games.

It saw 100 millionaires made in one night, which is a world record and eclipses the previous mark of 25. Thanks to the man making himself known to UK National Lottery officials, it means 96 of the winners have now been found and it comes after the Paralympic Games opening ceremony was held last night (August 29^th).

But this still means there are four people out there with life-changing sums of money waiting on them. Anyone who was entered into that draw should therefore recheck their tickets to see if they were lucky!

Picture Credit: Daily Record

Couple Strike Lotto Jackpot After 30 Years – August 30th, 2012

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

It seems this mantra is quite apt for the lottery world, as Roger and Darla Sauer have finally hit the jackpot after entering the same numbers on the Washington Lotto – 7, 8, 12, 19, 29 and 38 – for nearly 30 years.

x 0 0 0 0 4000609 300 Couple Strike Lotto Jackpot After 30 Years August 30th, 2012

As a result of this good fortune, they are $3.6 million richer and the couple – who have been married since 1974 – can now think about enjoying the rest of their lives without any financial worries.

Mr Sauer is an English teacher and has since gone back to work, while the pair are planning to give a large chunk of the money away to a few charities they already support.

This is quite the good luck story and shows how people have to be patient as they seek a massive lottery prize. However, the Washington Lotto is not the only state lottery that is very popular with lotto lovers.

There are seven different US state lottos available at theLotter and they are all worth having a look at. In terms of chasing the big money, the California Super Lotto is currently the most attractive. Check out lottery results for the US state lottos here.

With $17 million on offer at the moment, California Super Lotto is ranked seventh on theBig! All people have to do to take home such a sum is select five numbers from a guess range of 1-47 and one Mega number from a number matrix of 1-27.

The Oregon Megabucks Lotto is also currently riding high in theSmart in sixth place. Held three times a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays – the highest prize ever handed out by the lottery is $30 million.

There are five other state lotteries that players at theLotter can enjoy. The Florida Lotto, the Indian Hoosier Lotto, the New Jersey Pick Six Lotto, the New York Lotto and the New York Sweet Million Lotto.

This means there is a state lottery to suit every interest and taste, all people have to do is find out which one this is!

South Africa Is The Place To Go For Lottery Value! – August 29th, 2012

The South Africa Powerball Lotto has climbed to the top of theSmart on theLotter.

No one managed to scoop the jackpot in last night’s draw (August 28^th) and this means the lottery is currently offering the best cost to benefit ratio in the world. The top prize on offer for Friday’s draw will be R$52 million (£3.9 million).

South Africa Is The Place To Go For Lottery Value! August 29th, 2012

While the lottery always features prominently on theSmart, top spot is usually held by the Australia Saturday Lotto thanks to the combination of the tax-free jackpot, the entering fee is reasonable, there are favourable odds of winning and the guess range is only 1-45.

However, it has now been usurped by the South Africa Powerball Lotto thanks to a number of rollovers. The jackpot has not been won since June 29^th and this has caused the top prize to steadily climb.

It still has some way to go before it reaches its highest ever level of 100 million South Africa Rand, which was back in March 2011. Whenever someone finally manages to win the South Africa Powerball Lotto, they will not have to pay any taxes on winnings and all of the money is paid in a lump sum.

Indeed, South Africa is the only country that has two lotteries currently featuring on theSmart, as South Africa Lotto is in fifth place. This highlights how lottery operators in the country are keen to provide value for money whenever it comes to organising their games.

While the jackpot for the South Africa Lotto is a more modest R$16.5 million ($1.95 million), it is still a considerable sum that could change the life of anyone lucky enough to win it.

The easy-to-play format, combined with a national reputation, has seen the South Africa Lotto become one of the most popular lotteries in Africa. With 82 per cent of the country’s population taking part – and 53 per cent of them reporting that the South Africa Lotto is the only lottery they have ever played – it is clearly a national institution.

So for people looking to be smart with their money, it seems that South African lotteries are the best option!

Picture Credit: AllStar

EuroMillions Makes French Ticketholder Very Happy – August 29th, 2012

The EuroMillions has been very kind to lottery players this year and it has just crowned its 15^th winner of the year.

One person fromFrancemanaged to win €47.5 million after matching five numbers and two Lucky Stars on August 24th. It is the first time someone from the country has taken home the top prize since June 15th, when a €26.8 million jackpot was shared with a Spaniard.

EuroMillions Makes French Ticketholder Very Happy August 29th, 2012

No doubt the player, whose identity has yet to be revealed, will have spent the weekend thinking about what they can splash their money on. Top of the list will probably be a luxurious holiday, while thoughts could also turn to a new house and car.

If they are looking for inspiration, then they only have to look at the case of Adrian and Gillian Bayford. The couple won £148 million (€190 million) on the EuroMillions earlier this month and have already spent nearly £300,000 on a villa inSpain.

One of the premier draws on the planet, the EuroMillions regularly features on theBig at theLotter thanks to the monster jackpots it offers. It is currently in third place and €27 million will be up for grabs on Friday’s (August 31^st) draw, which is a considerable sum of money.

Another reason that plenty of people get involved with the EuroMillions is the great range of secondary prizes on offer. Six tickets matched the five main numbers and one Lucky Star to take home €315,733 on Friday, which highlights how second place isn’t always that bad.

As well as this, 11 tickets won €57,406 after matching the five main draw numbers. With these amounts of money on offer, it is no surprise that people keep coming back for more with the EuroMillions.

Those keen to boost their chances of winning the EuroMillions could consider using the most popular numbers, which are 50, 12, 4, 19 and 38 – and 3 and 8 for the Lucky Stars.

While this does not guarantee anyone a lottery win, at least everyone taking part will know they’re picking numbers that have a history of coming out.

Need a Lottery Ticket Babysitter? Phone Mum – August 29th, 2012

Winning the lottery is a fantastic feeling and one that will leave people full of optimism about the rest of their lives.

However, the big question is what to do with the winning lottery ticket until the winnings are made available. This is the dilemma that faced a man who took home NZ$8.5 million (£4.3 million) on a recent New Zealand Powerball Lotto draw.

Need a Lottery Ticket Babysitter? Phone Mum August 29th, 2012

So worried was he about losing the lottery ticket, he asked his mother to babysit it for him. The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said: “I really didn’t want to take it to work with me, so my mum offered to rearrange her schedule and stay at home with the ticket.”

It’s nice to see that he is still relying on his mum to look after him in his hour of need and the lady was more than happy to help out. In terms of his plans for the money, he said a new car, a family holiday and some nice presents for those close to him are top of the list.

However, he would not have had to worry about keeping his lottery ticket safe if he had played the New Zealand Powerball Lotto online at theLotter.

This is because there are three forms of ticket order confirmation – by email, online account and scanned tickets online. Because of this, people will receive a winning SMS and email alert should they be successful in any draw.

As well as this, there is a streamlined prize collection process that sees small prizes automatically transferred to an account and larger prizes coordinated and carried out by local offices.

In April of this year, B.U. from London got to find out just how smooth the winning process can be on theLotter. He claimed $1 million on the US Powerball Lotto with only the fifth lottery ticket he purchased.

The British winner, who lives in London, was then flown toFlorida, USA, in order to claim the life-changing sum from theLotter’s office there. And he didn’t need to get his mother’s help at any stage of the process!

Picture Credit: Thinkstock

Lotto winner thanks Olympian Mo Farah for lottery luck – August 28th, 2012

A lotto winner thinks some of Mo Farah’s good luck led to her lotto win.

Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots hover at $70 million mark – August 27th, 2012

The USA Mega Millions and Powerball are nearly neck-and-neck in the jackpot stakes.

Big Helps Out UK Community Projects – August 24th, 2012

The UK National Lottery gives out millions through the Big Lottery Fund

America Loves Playing the Online Lotteries – August 23rd, 2012

Americans seem to love their lotteries! Players from around the world can play American lotteries online although US lotteries date much farther back than the online age! Although with all these great wins in American lottery history, the fact of the matter is that lotteries actually originated long ago in ancient China between 205 and 187 B.C. in the days of the Han Dynasty and can be seen in keno slips from that time. It is believed that back then lotteries were played to help finance major government projects like the Great Wall of China. Lottery games were introduced to America in 1612 by King James I when he authorized the right to raise money to assist settlers in the first permanent English colony in Jamestown, Virginia. Very similar to China, the lotteries in colonial America were significant in financing private and public ventures.

Some of the greatest American lotteries, which appear often on a daily basis in theBig and theSmart, include the names: US Mega Millions, which is currently first place in theBig with a jackpot of $65 million for the upcoming draw tomorrow, and the US Powerball, which comes in right after, as #2 in theBig for this Saturday’s draw with a $60 million jackpot. Both lotteries have produced some of the largest wins in lottery history: Mega Millions’ historical jackpots of $656 million this year, $390 million in 2007 and $380 million in 2011; Powerball’s jackpots rank high as well with the most recent jackpot of $337 million last week coming in as the lottery’s 3^rd highest jackpot to date. The USA Powerball lotto’s record jackpot of $365 million was shared by eight people in 2006.

Of course there are a handful of state lotteries in the US, perhaps lesser known but they do in fact bring big wins! The California Super Lotto, now #7 in theBig, offers a $15 million jackpot for the upcoming draw this Saturday. This lottery starts at a minimum of $7 million and grows with each rollover. The highest jackpot to date was 10 years ago, after rolling over 11 times, with a final impressive top prize of $193 million won by three lucky players. This sunny west coast lottery offers nine different prize categories, the last one for matching the Mega number alone!

Taking #6 in theSmart this week is the Oregon Megabucks with a $4.6 million jackpot also for this Saturday’s draw. Due to its great winning odds, starting at 1:53, this lotto is often featured in theSmart category. The game offers its players four prize categories and the jackpot increases by $200,000 with each rollover. The Oregon Megabucks also comes with an extra surprise – the Kicker! This is a multiplier which is randomly selected during the draw and multiplies secondary prizes by four times. The lottery’s highest jackpot won was in 2004 with $30 million. Lotto players can win big with these lesser known state lotteries by playing their state lotteries. Players interested in playing American online lotteries can skip that road trip to purchase state lottery tickets by buying lottery tickets online!

The US Powerball’s most recent jackpot broke the record and managed to get there into the top three with an impressive $337 million first prize just last week and – it seems that finally the winner has been found! The winning ticket was purchased in a gas station and convenience store in Lapeer, Michigan. The Michigan Lottery said that even though the winner has already contacted the agency, officials are keeping details to a minimum. The lucky winner cannot stay anonymous for long as he has exactly one year from August 15^th to come forward. At that time the winner’s name will be published according to lottery policy for the state of Michigan. Lottery players can enter the next Powerball draw this Saturday by playing the American online lotto games on theLotter and perhaps become $60 million richer!

Michigan US Powerball Lotto Winner Comes Forward – August 23rd, 2012

The winner of last week’s (August 15^th) $337 million US Powerball Lotto jackpot has come forward.

Since it emerged the enormous sum had been won by someone from Lapeer inMichigan, speculation has been rife about whether or not the person was aware of their windfall.

It makes them the third biggest winner in the history of the US Powerball Lotto, but their identity is still being kept under wraps. People keen to follow in their footsteps should purchase a US Powerball Lotto ticket ahead of Saturday’s (August 25^th) draw.

The person in question has a big decision on their hands, as they have to choose whether to take the $337 million jackpot in annual payments over the next 29 years, or as a one-time cash award worth $250 million. Lottery officials said that most people will choose the latter option.

Michigan Lottery public relations director Andi Brancato said it is not unusual for people to take seven-to-ten days to allow the news to settle in before coming forward.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, she added with such an “extraordinary amount of money” on offer, it is quite possible they spoke to a financial adviser first.

“It is all so overwhelming for people,” Ms Brancato said. “They’re sort of at a loss on a lot of fronts … It’s really hard to grasp what has happened to you.” She added all winners are told by the organisation to talk to an accountant.

While the person is currently enjoying his or her anonymity, this will not be able to go on for much longer. Under the rules of the multi-state US Powerball lotto, the winner has to reveal their identity within one year of the draw to get their hands on the cash. However, until then the person can continue to live their life as normal.

Despite $337 million being won on August 15^th, the jackpot for the next draw has already ratcheted up to $60 million. This is thanks to new rules implemented at the start of the year, which means the jackpot value now starts at $40 million and $10 million is added on for every rollover.

Husband Wins £2 Million After Getting Wife’s Age Wrong – August 23rd, 2012

A husband should always know his wife’s age.

You’d think this is especially true if the age is part of the regular set of numbers that a couple enters in a lottery. However, Paddy Millar certainly seems to have the luck of the Irish.

62318982 euromillionswinnerspmaker3 Husband Wins £2 Million After Getting Wifes Age Wrong August 23rd, 2012

The 50-year-old scooped nearly £2 million on the EuroMillions after he got his wife Gail’s age wrong. Instead of entering 49, Mr Millar mistakenly picked 48. Unsurprisingly, his spouse was quick to excuse the error once they realised their lotto windfall.

“It’s the best mistake I’ve made in my life”, said Mr Millar. “And Gail’s forgiven me – particularly since I made her younger.”

Top of the wish list for the pair, who are both nurses, is an expensive holiday with their two daughters. “Like many families we’ve been feeling the pinch in recent times and rather than going abroad we had planned a holiday nearer home,” Mr Millar remarked.

He added they will also use some of the money to take care of their parents and spend more time with them.

Mr Millar used a mixture of family anniversaries and birthdays when picking numbers he hoped would be lucky. Little did he know getting one of them wrong was the luckiest thing he could ever do!

After hearing about the gaffe, people may want to check the EuroMillions UK results themselves to make sure they have not made a similar mistake.

The Millars matched five numbers with one Lucky Star in the same draw (August 10^th) that Adrian and Gillian Bayford took home £148 million (€190 million). Since then, the Bayfords have shown their caring side by purchasing a villa forAdrian’s brother and a car for a mutual friend.

For their first holiday they went to a caravan park inScotlandand have since boarded an easyJet flight to an undisclosed European destination.

If people want a chance to experience this millionaire lifestyle, then they should buy a ticket for the EuroMillions UK draw tomorrow (August 24^th), where the jackpot is going to be £36 million.

Picture Credit: BBC

People Should Always Check Their Lottery Numbers! – August 22nd, 2012

A EuroMillions UK Millionaire Raffle winner from August 3^rd has yet to come forward.

The lottery ticket was bought in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone area of Northern Ireland and everyone who lives there is being encouraged to check any of their old tickets to see if they have landed the life-changing sum of money.

People Should Always Check Their Lottery Numbers! August 22nd, 2012

A National Lottery spokesperson said: “We’re desperate to find this mystery ticket holder and unite them with their winnings – this amazing prize could really make a huge difference to somebody’s life.

“Try checking in the pockets of clothing, in wallets, bags and down the back of the sofa. We have the champagne on ice and our fingers crossed that the lucky winners comes forward to claim their winnings.”

The representative went on to note making at least two UK millionaires every week through the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Raffle is fantastic. If the person does not come forward within 180 days though, then the money will go into the National Lottery Good Causes fund.

It is not the only unclaimed jackpot in Northern Ireland at the moment, as no one has stepped forward to collect a £4 million top prize from a draw on June 2^nd. This was on the UK National Lottery and the winning ticket was bought in County Down.

The person has until November 29^th to claim the jackpot or else the chance to get their hands on the money will be lost forever. However, both of these winners have some way to go before matching the biggest prize that has gone unclaimed in Northern Ireland, which was £7 million.

Anyone trying their luck should check the results for the UK National Lottery after tonight’s (August 22nd draw). The jackpot currently stands at £2.1 million and all people have to do to win the top prize is match six numbers from a guess range of 1-49.

Better still, if they use theLotter’s free SMS alert system then they do not have to worry about a windfall going unclaimed as they will receive a text message if they are successful.

Picture Credit: Camelot

New Zealanders Overjoyed By Winning Big on the Lottery – August 22nd, 2012

One person is celebrating after scooping NZ$8.5 million (£4.4 million) on the New Zealand Powerball Lotto last Saturday (August 18^th).

The person, who has yet to be named, purchased their winning lottery ticket at Whitcoulls New Lynn in Auckland. The jackpot was made up of NZ$500,000 from Lotto First Division and NZ$8 million from Powerball First Division and it means there have been seven multi-millionaires since the start of 2012.

And it might not be too long before the eighth multi-millionaire is crowned, as the New Zealand Powerball Lotto is preparing to celebrate its 25^th anniversary with its biggest ever promotion. Over one thousand extra prizes – totalling NZ$7.5 million – will be given away on August 25^th and this will include three separate NZ$1 million offerings.

It comes after research commissioned to coincide with the lottery’s 25^th anniversary found 85 per cent of the biggest winners in New Zealand have elected to stay in their jobs. This might be at odds with what most people expect, but clearly these individuals felt it was important to keep some degree of normality in their lives.

Over 50 per cent said they felt more content since becoming millionaires, which shows that money really can buy happiness, while 17 per cent feel much more relaxed because of the financial security the money brings.

With 73 per cent of those respondents recommending that people do Quick Pick, their may be no need to stick to the same numbers anymore. Amazingly, five per cent of winners have kept it a secret and never told any of their family and friends about their good fortune.

New Zealanders are evidently a generous bunch, as 64 per cent shared their good fortune with relatives, while 52 per cent donated to charity. And when it comes to splashing the cash, there are quite sensible, with 52 per cent paying off their mortgage, buying a new house or renovating their existing one.

Anyone who wants to be the eight multi-millionaire of 2012 on the New Zealand Powerball Lotto needs to purchase a ticket before Saturday, when the jackpot will be NZ$5 million.

Picture Credit: Thinkstock

Want To Win Big? Then Play the EuroMillions or US Powerball lotteries – August 22nd, 2012

Both the EuroMillions and US Powerball lotteries have handed over huge jackpots in recent weeks.

Adrian and Gillian Bayford scooped €190 million on August 10^th after matching five numbers and two Lucky Stars, while an as-yet-unknown person from Lapeer inMichigan took home $337 million on the US Powerball Lotto just five days later.

This demonstrates why the draws are so popular, as the monster top prizes they both routinely offer to players prove to be very enticing. These lottos never leave theBig at theLotter – which lists the biggest declared jackpots in the world – and are often found fighting it out for the top spot.

At present, the EuroMillions is in second place – with €46 million up for grabs on Friday (August 24^th) – while the US Powerball is in fourth place with a top prize of $50 million and the next draw for this lotto will be tonight.

This demonstrates how quickly windfalls can climb when it comes to these lotteries and this is in part due to the huge starting jackpot values they offer. The EuroMillions begins at €15 million, while for the US Powerball this is $40 million, rising by $10 million every time it rolls over.

Because of this, it is not uncommon for both lotteries to offer nine-digit top prizes to their participants. Last year, Chris and Colin Weir won €185 million on the EuroMillions, while two people shared a €156 million jackpot in June.

Similarly, the US Powerball can make dreams come true on a regular basis. On top of the $337 million handed out last week, $241 million was won in June, while the jackpot climbed to the $336.4 million back in February.

This comes after a number of structural changes were implemented at the start of the year to encourage bigger top prizes, such as reducing the Powerball guess range from 1-39 to 1-35 and doubling the starting jackpot from $20 million to $40 million.

Because of this, anyone who wants to win the biggest lotto jackpots available should go online and buy tickets for the EuroMillions and US Powerball lotteries. Watch videos about the latest EuroMillions winners at theLotter Facebook page.

It’s All In The US Powerball Lottery Draw – August 21st, 2012

One lucky person in the US is still coming to terms with the news they are $337 million richer.

The third highest ever top prize handed out by the US Powerball remains unclaimed, although the winning ticket was bought in the small town ofLapeer,Michigan. Since the news broke, speculation has been rife about who the winner is and what they are going to do with their money.

When shown on TV, the lotto often seems like a short process. However, Sue Dooley, senior drawing manager of the Multi-State Lottery Association, observed there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

She told CBS News: “A lot of people when they find out what I do, they think, ‘Oh well you come in five minutes before, pull out the equipment, then you’re done’.” However, this is not the case, as strict security provisions are in place to make sure all of the 86 million ticket holders have an equal chance of winning the lotto.

The vault that holds the machines and sets of balls has to be opened with four people present, while a random draw is made to decide what set is going to be used. The lottery balls weigh 80 grams and to ensure fairness the average difference is a mere three-tenths of a gram.

As the draw is taking place, cameras are being monitored from the Multi-State Lottery Association’s headquarters in Des Moines. All of this means people can be sure that the US Powerball Lottery – which operates in 42 of the 50 US states – is conducted in a just manner.

There are obvious reasons for having such security systems in place. Since the US Powerball was started in 1988 – although it was known as Lotto America until 1992 – over $20 billion has been given away to lucky ticketholders and so it is vital that this money goes to the right people.

Sam Arlen, who host coverage of the US Powerball Lottery draws, admitted he gets nervous because it is the first chance that people in the country get to see what the winning numbers.

Picture Credit: The Examiner

EuroMillions UK Winners Enjoying the Millionaire Lifestyle, August 21st, 2012

On August 10^th, the lives of Adrian and Gillian Bayford changed forever.

This is because the pair took home £148 million (€190 million) in the EuroMillions Lottery after 14 straight rollovers. Obviously, it is going to take them a long time to spend all that money, but it is safe to say they are now rich enough to make most of their dreams come true.

Once they stepped forward to reveal their identities, unsurprisingly there was a lot of excitement and fanfare, as only Colin and Chris Weir from Largs in Scotland- who pocketed £161 million – have ever won more on the lotto in the UK. Champagne was uncorked, while they flew away from their first press conference in a helicopter.

EuroMillions UK Winners Enjoying the Millionaire Lifestyle, August 21st, 2012

This could be the sign of things to come, but the Bayfords have so far managed to keep their feet firmly on the ground. Their first post-win trip was to a caravan park in Scotland to see Ms Bayford’s parents.

Since then, they have jetted off to an unknown European destination for a family break with their two young children. However, rather than pay for a private jet, they opted for an easyJet flight.

They have also been snapped eating bacon rolls and going to fast food outlets such as McDonalds, which shows they are still being frugal with their money.

The EuroMillions winners have shown themselves to be generous though. According to the Sun, they splashed out £288,000 for a villa inSpainfor Mr Bayford’s brother, while a friend was given a £55,000 Audi Q7.

Because of their new found fame and wealth, the Bayfords have been advised to hire professional bodyguards to protect their kids. A family friend said: “The children are a real worry and any threat to their safety is something Gillian and Adrian are taking very seriously.”

Suffice to say, the last 11 days have been very interesting for the UK’s latest multi-millionaires. If people want to follow in the footsteps of the Bayfords and land themselves a life-changing sum of money, then they should go online and buy EuroMillions UK Lottery tickets for tonight’s (August 21^st) draw.

Picture Credit: The Daily Record

EuroJackpot Second Place is Not For Losers – August 20th, 2012

The success of Adrian and Gillian Bayford has been dominating the European lottery world of late.

It is because the pair scooped €190 million (£148 million) after being the sole winners of the EuroMillions Lottery jackpot on August 10th. However, on that night there was another significant sum of money handed out.

Eurojackpot EuroJackpot Second Place is Not For Losers August 20th, 2012

The EuroJackpot – Europe’s newest draw – made one person from Germany over €27 million richer after the draw hit its 12-rollover limit, which meant the jackpot had to be paid out. As no one managed to match the five main numbers and two additional numbers in the draw, the top prize rolled down.

This meant one lucky secondary prize winner managed to get their hands on the jackpot – as well as their own reward for matching five numbers and one additional number. The success makes the person the third biggest lottery winner ever inGermany.

Since it was started earlier this year, all seven numbers in the EuroJackpot have only been matched once – which means only two jackpots have been paid out so far. However, people should still consider buying EuroJackpot Lottery tickets.

This is because the top prize is guaranteed to start at €10 million, with the potential for it to rise to €90 million. Any sums won are also tax free, while the odds of taking home some cash are an impressive 1:35.

As the person from Germanyd emonstrates, individuals do not even need to get all of the numbers to hit the jackpot and take home a life-changing sum of money. The draw is currently in eighth place on theBig at theLotter with a jackpot of €11 million and this will be up for grabs on Friday.

The future is bright for the EuroJackpot, as discussions are taking place about adding more member countries to the draw. At present, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain are all involved.

There has also been talk of introducing a second weekly draw to bring it in line with the EuroMillions Lottery, which demonstrates how it is most definitely on the up.

Picture Credit: Forbes

Lapeer US Powerball Lottery Jackpot Winner Still Unknown – August 20th, 2012

The winner of the massive $337 million US Powerball Lottery jackpot last Wednesday (August 15^th) has yet to come forward.

All that is known about the person who scooped the lotto’s third highest ever top prize is that the ticket was bought in Lapeer,Michigan. Only 8,800 people live in the town and so the place must be buzzing with speculation as to who it is.

It is not the first time this year that a big lotto jackpot has been won by someone from a small community. Back in April, Merle and Patricia Butler from Red Bud, Illinois took home $218 million after playing the US Mega Millions. They were one of three winning ticket holders in the record $656 million draw – the biggest jackpot ever!

However, despite their newfound wealth, the Butlers were determined to stay in Red Bud as it is where they call home.

“Winning this amount of money is a major responsibility, one we take seriously and will figure out step-by-step as we go along. I’m sure we will be using part of the winnings to do some real good; we just don’t know yet how that might manifest itself,” Ms Butler said.

Once the winner from Lapeer does come forward, they can join in the town’s annual festival called Lapeer Days. The three-day event dates back to 1902 when Alonzo A Bostick and his son Austin decided to celebrate the opening of Bostick Stove Works in Lapeer.

Such is the success of the event that it is now Michigan’s largest free festival. No doubt is will be filled with talk about who the winner of the $337 million US Powerball Lottery jackpot is. As the ticket was purchased at a garage, the residents will be hoping the winner is not just someone who was driving through.

The US Powerball Lottery top prize for this Wednesday is $50 million and it will continue to grow by $10 million every time a draw is held and there is no winner. It is a case of being in it to win it and so people should buy US Powerball Lottery tickets online and start hoping!

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