While country moves forward, Ohio may move backwards
The Ohio Lottery has not joined the move to sell tickets directly to players on the Internet, and a provision in a state budget bill would make sure it doesn't.
The bill, which has passed the House and gone to the Senate, would prohibit Ohio from following the lead of states that already let players buy tickets via their computers and handheld devices.
Online sales could help lotteries attract younger customers and...
Apparently it's lucky to be a guy named Joe from Tinton Falls, N.J.
For the second time in just 14 months, a Joe who lives in the Monmouth County town (population 18,000) has stepped forward to collect a major lottery jackpot.
On Thursday, Giuseppe "Joe" Garofalo claimed his half of the $198 annuity jackpot from last Friday's Mega Millions drawing. He bought his ticket at Kwik Farms in the Monmouth County town.
The other winning ticket was sold in Farmville, Va., a rural town west of Richmond.
In March 2012, Celeste and Joseph Tamburello were the only winners of a $70 million annuity jackpot in Powerball. They opted for the $43.5 million cash.
A Southeast Missouri woman wrapped up a big week by taking home a $1 million lottery prize during the record $600 million Powerball jackpot run.
Last week, Mary Jane Hart of Doniphan not only started a new job but also played the lottery and won twice. She first got $500, and then earned one million more on Saturday.
Hart works at the Hartland Pit Stop in Doniphan as a part-time cashier. She sold herself a Powerball ticket when she came into work Saturday because the jackpot had reached a record amount.
"I've always wanted to win a jackpot so that I could go to way more NASCAR races than I go to [now], which is a lot," she said.
Come this fall, winning the multi-state Mega Millions lottery jackpot will become even more difficult in the 45 states and jurisdictions that offer the lotto game.
