Anyone who has won big playing the USA Mega Millions lotto online will know the joy it can bring.
Typically, people will not be able to comprehend exactly what has happened if they scoop a life-altering sum of money and will need a bit of time to think about their newfound wealth.
However, lottery winners should look to put a five-stage plan of action in place as soon as possible so their fortune is looked after.
1. Get a lawyer
Step one is a fairly basic move, as people will need legal representation once they hit the big time.
After hiring a qualified professional, individuals should listen to everything they are told to do in order to secure their jackpot.
As well as this, it is a good idea to lock the winning lottery ticket away and tell no one of their good luck until the money is in their account.
2. Take time
Nobody should rush the big financial decisions. It would be very easy to get carried away after becoming a millionaire, but individuals have plenty of time to spend their cash.
The worst thing they can do is to start promising to buy family and friends all sort of items before they have even worked out a budget.
3. Pick a charity
People may find they have so much money that they do not know what to do with it.
A good idea is to find a worthy cause – a charity that campaigns over something close to their heart is often best – and give it some cash.
This means plenty of individuals will be able to benefit from one lottery success.
4. Write a will
Before winning the lottery, people may not have thought this was too big a deal, but millionaires need a will.
Should the worst happen, they can be sure their dependents are going to be covered financially and this peace of mind is invaluable.
5. Enjoy the high life
Finally, the easiest of the five steps, go and splash the cash. What is the point of winning the lotto online if you cannot have a bit of fun?
Fast cars, fancy holidays and big mansions should all be on the cards, as people sit back and enjoy the lifestyle benefits associated with scooping a big prize.
The anticipation continues to mount for EuroJackpot fans, as the game’s jumbo payout has rolled over for a third week tonight (March 30th).
Nobody has yet walked away with the coveted top prize since the game was launched on March 23rd and so the unclaimed €11 million windfall will inflate, ready for the taking next week (April 6th).
The payout has the potential to grow to a mammoth €90 million fortune if it rolls over for enough weeks – and if excitement surrounding the draw continues to inflate at its current rate and further boosts lottery ticket sales, this point may come sooner that people may think.
Despite the EuroJackpot being hyped up for weeks before its debut drawing, some people may not yet know about this new European lotto.
Those who want to learn more about the fledgling game can find some pointers below on how it works – and fans may want to enter the draw themselves online on theLotter.
How it works
The EuroJackpot works in much the same way as other lotteries in that entrants have to select five numbers from a range of 1-50 and two additional numbers from a range of 1-8, either themselves or using a Quick Pick random number selector.
After entering the lotto, fans have to wait until the results are called in the scheduled Friday draw.
Who takes part?
The official participating nations of the EuroJackpot are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and the Netherlands – and fans can play the lotto online from all over the world on theLotter.
Other countries rumoured to be joining the EuroJackpot family in the next year are Norway, Iceland and Sweden.
Results and prizes
The results of the EuroJackpot are announced weekly on a Friday, with the numbers being called live from the lottery‘s Helsinki television studios.
Players could be in with a chance of winning one of 12 prizes, with the bottom of these requiring just two main numbers and one extra number.
The jackpot always begins at €10 million and can grow to as much as €90 million if the top payout goes unclaimed for long enough.
Fans can get involved today on theLotter where they can play the lottery online and check results.
Lotto fans may be encouraged go and buy a lottery ticket on a whim after watching a new BBC drama.
The Syndicate – which is due to air on the BBC for the first time on March 27th – is a story penned by Kay Mellor about a group of five supermarket workers from the UK who strike lucky playing the lotto.
Starring Gavin and Stacey’s Joanna Page and Harry Potter’s Matthew Lewis and Timothy Spall, the show follows the lives of the unassuming colleagues after their luck comes in and they each get a sizeable share of an £18 million jackpot after buying a lottery ticket together.
Filmed in the Yorkshire city of Leeds, the drama demonstrates the difficulties that some lotto winners can face when they dive head-first into a windfall after living hand-to-mouth on low incomes for a prolonged period.
Ms Mellor was quoted by The Guardian as saying: “I thought, I wonder what it would be like if a group of people won the lottery. Ordinary, working-class people, in this present climate.”
The writer admitted that a lotto win would be a welcome surprise for her and her family at the moment and revealed she would love to pay off her friends’ and daughters’ mortgages and debts.
Joanna Page, who plays single mum Leanne in the show, said she would move to the country, buy a small farm and open a dog rescue shelter.
The story of The Syndicate is reminiscent of what became of a lucky band of supermarket colleagues from Hyde near Manchester, who won £6.8 million playing the UK National Lottery together in October last year.
Each member of the 16-strong group took home £430,000, with some quitting their job at the store as a result.
Debra Wilson, who formed the syndicate, told the Daily Mail she would use her money to go on a trip to the US, while others used their cash to invest in property, go on holiday and buy new cars.
“I have always wanted to go to Las Vegas and there are even rumours of one of the girls getting a bit of plastic surgery,” she said.
In this guide, lotto enthusiasts may be encouraged to buy international lotterytickets by gaining a better understanding of jackpots that are not in US Dollars, sterling, Australian and New Zealand Dollars or Euros.
Brazilian Real
This week’s Brazil Mega Sena jackpot is estimated to be worth R$21.5 million – but what is the equivalent value of a Real to a Dollar?
The current top prize for this lotto is the sum of three rollovers in the past weeks and when converted to the US currency, it is worth $12.2 million – so players can expect more than half the value in Brazilian Real in terms of the Dollar if they choose to play Mega Sena this Saturday (January 28th).
South African Rand
At theLotter, fans can enter the South Africa Lotto and South Africa Powerball draws – but theRand may be stopping them from trying out either of these games.
The South Africa Lotto is currently featured in theSmart, with Saturday’s jackpot looking to be worth 25 million Rand, which is around $3.2 million.
Swedish Kroner
The Scandinavians love their lotteries and offer games that straddle several of the Nordic nations such as the Viking Lotto.
Even though they are part of Europe, Sweden, Norway and Denmark do not trade in Euros and stick to their native Kroner – which may be an alien currency to those unfamiliar.
The next Viking Lotto draw – which also features on theSmart – is due to take place on Wednesday next week (February 1st) and is estimated to have a top prize worth 14 million Swedish Kroner, which in Dollars is $2.1 million.
Turkish Lira
The Turkish games such as the TurkeyLotto 649 and the Super Lotto 654 operate in Turkish Lira. Both these lotteries are on theSmart this week, with the latter’s next drawing taking place tonight (January 26th).
Fans who enter the TurkeySuper Lotto 654 today could bag themselves TRY 3.2 million – which converts to roughly half in Dollars, making $1.7 million.
Polish Zloty
Finally, theSmart is also advertising the Poland Lotto, which has its next drawing this evening for entrants to be in with a chance of winning 6 million Zloty.
This is the sum of a double rollover and in dollars, the tip prize converts to $1.8 million.
European lotto draws are dominating theSmart category here at theLotter – which means those with a penchant for the continent’s lotteries could take home a cash prize if they are savvy about ticket prices and the payouts available.
How theSmart works is that it picks the draws with the best cost-to-benefit ratio, with this being calculated according to tax deductions, the odds and the jackpot total versus the price of the bet.
So people who know their games might be eager to enter Spain’s La Primitiva tomorrow (January 26th), as there is €4.8 million on offer.
Turkey’s Lotto 649 and Super Lotto 654 also feature, with the former offering a 1.2 million Turkish lira payout for jackpot winners at its next draw on Saturday (January 28th) and the latter seeing its top prize jump to 3.2 million Turkish lira in time for Thursday’s game.
The Poland Lotto – which has seen a triple rollover in the past week or so – promises an estimated jackpot of six million polish zloty tomorrow night, but if this top prize goes unclaimed again, fans can enter the next draws on Saturday and Tuesday until it is won.
And the Ireland Lotto is also boasting an attractive jackpot in its game scheduled for tonight (January 25th), as the lottery is offering the person who gets all six main numbers correct a payout of €5.5 million.
But despite this European domination of the Smart list, the US and Australia also featured highly on the table of the best games to play when both ticket price and prize sums are taken into account.
The Australian Saturday Lotto, Wednesday Lotto and AustraliaPowerball are all featured on the Smart list.
Fans interested in entering the Saturday Lotto this weekend can play for a possible Au$4 million jackpot, while the Wednesday Lotto next week has its top prize set for Au$1 million.
An incredible Au$20 million is up for grabs if players enter the Australia Powerball draw tonight, with this game ranking fourth on the list.
The Indiana Hoosier Lottery – which does not normally feature in theSmart category – is currently ranking third, as its jackpot for this evening’s draw is estimated to be a massive $31.3 million and finally, the Oregon Megabucks also features, with tonight’s game offering a top prize of $19.3 million.
The hunt is on for one of Scandinavia’s largest-ever jackpot winners after the top prize was bagged on Wednesday (January 18th) – and some believe the lucky Sweden Lotto player is hiding out in a tiny village of Storebro in the south-eastern countryside of the country.
Based near the little town ofVimmerby, residents of the area are all a flutter, according to the Swedish English language newspaper the Local, because the ticketholder is entitled to the third-largest payout in the history of the nation.
The fortunate individual’s slip is the key to a 14.9 million Swedish krona jackpot after getting all seven numbers right in Wednesday’s draw.
Despite the relatively small size of Storebro, the lucky winner’s identity is still unknown among residents of the quiet village.
Indeed, many locals did not believe the news when they first heard it.
Sofie Skepphagen of the Storebro Kiosk and Grill near Vimmerby – where the winning Sweden Lotto ticket was purchased – told Swedish newspaper the Aftonbladet that the news is “unbelievable”.
She admitted to slamming the phone down when lottery officials told her the news that the slip had been bought in her store believing it was a hoax.
Despite it being a tight-knit rural community, residents are none the wiser as to who the lucky lottery player is.
Pierre Jonsson of the Svenska Spel Swedish lotto headquarters had a message for the anonymous millionaire-in-waiting, stating: “I have said it many times before, but this time I will stress it particularly, keep the ticket safe.”
“The only way to get your hands on the money is by presenting the winning ticket,” he added.
Whoever the Sweden Lotto winner may be, having a ticket at home worth such an enormous amount is likely to be putting them under lots of pressure – a matter that could be resolved by playing the lottery online.
By entering a draw at theLotter, all entries are saved digitally and subscribers receive alerts if they are lucky enough to win a prize – which also eliminates the issue of losing or forgetting to check a ticket and missing out on taking home a windfall.
The USA is one nation that loves its lottery games, with a recent survey revealing one-in-five Americans knows a lotto winner personally.
And it is no surprise the country is in love with playing the lottery, because with big-prize draws such as USA Mega Millions and the USA Florida Lotto, it is hard to resist the hype these enormous jackpots bring about.
According to Poll Position, 62 per cent of all Americans have entered a lottery draw at some point – which also includes playing the lotto online.
This week there are some really big jackpot draws taking place in the US, with the next USA Mega Millions game taking place tomorrow (December 6th) with a top prize of $87 million.
The USA Powerball draw on Wednesday (December 7th) promises an estimated $52 million payout to anybody who gets all five numbers plus the Powerball correct.
Furthermore, the next USA Florida Lotto game – which is also on Wednesday – is going to have a top prize of around $41 million, while the Indiana Hoosier Lottery draw looks to have a jackpot of $24 million when the balls are drawn that evening too.
Fans of these great games can have a go at winning a juicy payout and check estimated jackpots and lottery results at theLotter.
The three USA Powerball winners who landed a $254 million lotto jackpot to share between them have given $1 million of their windfall to support veterans.
Asset managers from Connecticut, Greg Skidmore, Tim Davidson and Brandon Lacoff have split their generous donation between several groups that offer help and services to those who have been in battle.
Gary Lewi, a spokesman for the trio, said on Sunday (December 4th) that the lottery winners cannot think of a bigger priority than “addressing the needs of those men and women who have defended our nation”.
One of the good causes, Building Homes for Heroes, said that at least four houses could be built with the money, while president for Operation First Response Peggy Baker described their donation of $200,000 as a “Christmas miracle”.
Chief executive officer for Services for the Under Served Donna Colonna praised the generosity of the three trustees, while the US Intrepid Fallen Heroes Foundation revealed their financial gift will go towards helping those veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress.
Charitable causes are usually a big priority for lottery winners and the generosity of the three trustees from Connecticut could inspire those entering Wednesday’s (December 7th) USA Powerball draw, which promises a jackpot of $52 million.
Going for the number 13 could reduce a person’s chances of having to share an Italian SuperEnalotto jackpot, as it has been revealed that many players consider this digit unlucky, which could mean fewer people select it when entering a lottery draw.
According to MSN Money, aversion to the digit 13 – which is also known as triskaidekaphobia – could mean that if the ball with that number on it is drawn during a lotto game, less people may have selected it, resulting in a lower chance of sharing a payout with somebody who chose the same numbers on their ticket.
Italian SuperEnalotto fans can also apply this same logic with the number seven, because in Europe this is considered a lucky digit and is therefore more likely to be chosen by superstitious lottery players – which might mean skipping seven reduces the chances of sharing a prize.
Finally, it was recommended not to neglect numbers over 31 – as anything under this number is more popular because of lotto fans’ fondness for picking birthdays when playing the lottery.
Lottery fans may want to see if these tips work out for them when they play the next Italian SuperEnalotto draw tomorrow (December 6th).
The game could make a lucky lotto player very happy indeed, as the jackpot is estimated to be €40 million – which could make the holiday season a little easier on the wallet.
EuroMillions winners Dave and Angela Dawes have celebrated their lottery windfall together and tied the knot, but the couple decided not to let their wealth dictate their perfect day.
The pair – who landed a €101 million jackpot in October – had the means to hold a ceremony and reception the likes of which are only usually experienced by Hollywood A-listers and royalty, but in the name of love, they opted for a simple event attended by just five family members.
Dave and Angela Dawes said their vows at Gretna Green – a wedding location favoured by eloping couples for centuries – in a candlelit ceremony at Anvil Hall on Friday (December 2nd).
The bride wore a cream dress and arrived by horse-drawn carriage and was met by the groom, who wore a morning suit and was supported by his two sons from a previous marriage.
Neither could afford to tie the knot before their lotto win, so celebrated finally being able to do so with champagne and steak at the Gretna Chase Hotel.
Lottery fans who enjoy playing the EuroMillions can do so at theLotter in time for tomorrow’s (December 6th) draw, which has an estimated jackpot of €15 million.
A pair of New Zealand lottery fans admitted they suffered sleeplessness after striking lucky playing their favourite draw.
According to Stuff, the couple won the West Coast’s largest lottery prize ever on Wednesday last week (November 23rd), scooping NZ$8.4 million – just in time for their Christmas shopping.
The pair – who have opted to remain anonymous – admitted that when they realised their numbers matched all of those drawn in the game they could not bear to close their eyes at night.
“We were too shocked to celebrate. I just had a beer and went to bed, but neither of us slept a wink,” one of the couple said.
But it was not just a case of hopping into the car and driving to collect their winnings from the lottery headquarters, as the pair stated they had to fly from their home to the NZ Lotteries Wellington office with the ticket folded into a travel pouch attached to a necklace.
And the lotto fans know just what to spend their winnings on, revealing they will still be going on their traditional Christmas camping trip.
“We’ve been granted a wonderful gift, but for now, we will continue with current plans,” they remarked.
Fans of Australasian lotteries may think they are due a bit of Kiwi good fortune.
If so, lotto lovers can log on to theLotter to play New Zealand Powerball to be in with a chance of winning NZ$5 million on Saturday (December 3rd).
A Canadian lotto winner is either laying low or has not realised they have scooped C$21 million playing their favourite draw last week.
Fans of such north American lottery games as Canada Lotto 649 may be interested to learn that Ontario lotto officials told the Toronto Sun that lucky players who scoop prizes tend to make themselves known quite soon after they realise their good fortune, but sometimes they wait before collecting their riches.
Spokesman for the province’s lottery office Tony Bitonti said: “We do know where it’s been purchased … it’s part of our prize verification process.”
He added that sometimes lotto winners show up at the retailer and other times they will go straight to the lottery headquarters brandishing their winning numbers.
Mr Bitonti revealed that when such fortunate lotto fans come forward, they are interviewed before any cheques are handed out to ascertain where they entered the draw and how often they play the same numbers.
The winning Canada Lotto Max ticket is said to have been bought in Barrie and fans can check the results of the draw online at theLotter.
Lotto fans who love their jackpots may want to make sure they never miss a beat when it comes to the Italian SuperEnalotto, because this game has resulted in some of the largest top prizes ever to be won.
According to the Irish Independent, the lottery is the only one in Europe that can compete with the EuroMillions when weighing up draws according to their payouts.
This is no mean feat, as the Euro lotto resulted in two of the wealthiest lottery winners in the history of the game in July this year, when Christine and Colin Weir of Largs in Scotland landed the record-smashing €185 million top prize after weeks of rollovers.
Rollovers are why lottery fans cannot get enough of Italian SuperEnalotto, because the game has 90 balls in play which means a higher frequency of top payouts being increased for the next draw.
The newspaper noted that in October 2010, one lucky SuperEnalotto Italian fan landed a €178 million jackpot after the top prize rolled over three times a week for no fewer than nine months.
Lottery fans who fancy a go at the Italian SuperEnalotto can play online tonight (December 1st) at theLotter to be in with a chance of taking home the €38.2 million prize.
Shortly after news emerged that three men from a wealthy part of Connecticut landed the USA Powerball jackpot, it was revealed there was a fourth gent involved – their client.
However, wealth management professionals Greg Skidmore, Tim Davidson and Brandon Lacoff – who won $254 million playing the lottery this month – have denied this speculation.
The three males claim they bought their lotto ticket together on a whim and upon realising the good news that their luck had come through set up a trust fund for the top prize.
After their story hit the papers, Thomas Gladstone, who is said to be the landlord of the company the winners all work for, revealed the assets experts are just fronting for another person in order to maintain his anonymity.
In response to these allegations, Messrs Skidmore, Davidson and Lacoff released a statement from their jointly-held Putnam Avenue Family Trust saying: “To be clear, there are a total of three trustees and there is no anonymous fourth participant.”
The gents named their fund after the street they all work on together.
USA Powerball fans may need such a trust fund if fortune favours them tonight (November 30th), as this evening’s draw is expected to yield a jackpot worth $31 million.
Lottery fans may be on the edge of their seats awaiting the next Italian SuperEnalotto draw, as weeks of rollovers have resulted in the jackpot being ratcheted up to €38.2 million.
Such an enormous payout could make a lotto player very happy indeed, giving them a huge cash prize just in time for the December holiday season.
The next draw takes place tomorrow (December 1st) and this gives those who like to play SuperEnalotto plenty of time to indulge in a bit of fantasizing about how they would spend such a life-changing sum of money if their luck came in.
However, people fortunate enough to take home a top prize can sometimes let their excitement get out of control -Â which is understandable given the Italian SuperEnalotto is responsible for attracting people from around the world to play its exciting rollover games and high jackpots.
According to the Citizens Voice, financial consultant and author of Winners, Losers and What to Do When You Win the Lottery Don McNay believes planning is everything when it comes to spending a top tier prize wisely.
He recommends lotto fans do not spend it all in one go and donating some of the money to a good cause, while seeking expert advice may also be a sensible road to go down.
The UK is certainly a country that takes its lottery playing seriously, with nearly one-third of lotto fans admitting they have dreams that their lives will improve when their luck comes in.
According to the Daily Telegraph, a survey by YouGov for the nation’s Financial Planning Week found 29 per cent of Brits think the lotto represents their best hope of a better bank balance.
Indeed, playing British lottery draws has grown in popularity this year, with the UK National Lottery operator Camelot paying out record amounts to prize winners and charities in the six months leading up to September 2011.
The organisation states winnings hit £1.7 billion, which is up £300 million compared to the same time in 2010.
Chief executive of Camelot Dianne Thompson is pleased demand for the lottery in the UK is so high, because it means more proceeds can go to charity.
She said the games it runs are responsible for “raising a record amount for the good causes and paying out record sums in prize money to our players, which is what the National Lottery is all about”.
Lotto fans who like to buy lottery tickets online can explore British lotteries such as the UK National Lottery at theLotter.
The next draw takes place tomorrow (November 30th) and the jackpot is estimated to reach £2.2 million.
Many lotto winners may have difficulty when it comes to managing huge sums of cash following a lottery windfall, but three lucky players from Connecticut are more than qualified to take good care of their cash.
The fortunate lotto fans scooped $254 million playing USA Powerball after buying a ticket together over a month ago and know just how to handle their money owing to their jobs as wealth managers.
Gregg Skidmore, Tim Davidson and Brandon Lacoff work in a small start-up firm called Bell Asset Management in Greenwich – one of the richest towns in the country.
They came forward after mulling over the win and founded the Putnam Avenue Family Trust – named after the street they all work on – which is where the after-tax lottery lump sum will be held.
Connecticut lottery officials have confirmed that this USA Powerball win is the state’s biggest ever and is the 12th largest in the history of the game.
All three men have said that a generous proportion of their winnings will be going to good causes.
Lotto fans who like to play online Powerball can check out theLotter, as tomorrow’s (November 30th) jackpot for the popular game is set to be $31 million.
A couple from Oshawa in Ontario have admitted it was too much for them to take in when they realised they had won C$50 million playing Canadian Lotto Max last week.
Don and Linda Ingram, who have been married for 30 years, claimed it dawned on them that they were multi-millionaires on the morning following November 18th’s lottery draw and in the excitement they “freaked out”.
Mrs Ingram – who along with her husband cooks at a restaurant 45 minutes outside of Toronto – said she checked their numbers at a local convenience store and realised then and there that their lives would never be the same again.
“I can’t sleep because I’m so excited,” the 59-year-old stated.
“I’m just so overwhelmed.”
The Ingrams have revealed they will use some of their lotto money to ensure their loved ones, namely their children and grandchildren, have no financial worries.
In addition they intend to retire a little earlier than planned, but will continue to work for a few more weeks.
Canadian Lotto Max fans can check the results of their favourite draw at theLotter, where they can also enter 38 of the biggest lotto games around the world online from the comfort of their own home.
A Conway man has scooped $1 million by using his lucky numbers in his favourite lottery draw.
Chris Brown of Conway, New Hampshire, received a standing ovation of congratulations from locals and staff at the convenience store where he purchased the winning ticket on November 11th.
The lottery player – who lives on a pension and social security – admitted the windfall is going to make his life a little easier, as the prize will give him $1,000 a week before taxes for the next 20 years.
Modestly, Mr Brown claims his life before the lucky lotto win was “OK” before, but admitted he is “150 per cent more OK” now.
It seems the retired hospital worker was due a payout, as he stated he has been spending $6 a week playing his two favourite sets of numbers for decades.
Mr Brown has already splashed some of his lotto cash on a new car and is thinking of taking a road trip but admits he has always had a sensible approach to spending – even if he does covet some purchases.
“I’m a fairly conservative Yankee and I take care of my money, but I have to have my toys and I’m going to get them,” he said.
The search continues as USA Powerball officials try to hunt down a lotto player with a ticket entitling them to $77 million in winnings.
According to the Metro Atlanta, the slip was purchased in Georgia – in all probability by a local resident – on June 29th this year.
As so much time has elapsed since the draw took place, it is unlikely the lottery fan has been using the months since buying their ticket to mull over how they will spend and invest their life-changing payout and officials are now assuming the individual is unaware their numbers came through for them after entering the USA Powerballlotto.
Lottery fans have 180 days to collect their USA Powerball prize if they are fortunate enough to scoop a cash sum, but 150 days have already passed since the June 29th game, so time is running out for the potential multi-millionaire.
Lotto lovers may live in fear of losing a winning ticket but one way they can avoid this nightmare situation is if they buy lottery tickets online.
At theLotter, players can register to receive email or SMS alerts if they are lucky enough to win a payout, while their chosen lotto numbers for each game they play are saved digitally, which means no fretting about misplaced tickets.
