Lottery Post Exclusive

By Todd Northrop

Updated: Nov. 6, 2009, 11:28 a.m.

In January 2010 the state lines that have been dividing the United States into "Powerball states" and "Mega Millions states" will be blurred by a cross-selling arrangement between the two multi-state lottery titans.

But it was not an arrangement the country's biggest lotto games entered into easily or even willingly. 

Willis Willis has an idea how he can get his money back from the store clerk who authorities say stole his $1 million winning lottery ticket.

"Just get me in a room with him for two minutes," says the 67-year-old Navy veteran.

Willis was back home in Grand Prairie on Tuesday after a meeting with Texas Lottery Commission officials Monday in Austin in which his attorneys tried unsuccessfully to collect the winnings.

It was a meeting that only seemed to add confusion and frustration to the already bizarre case.

Commission officials told Willis that they consider the store clerk, Pankaj Joshi, the rightful winner because Joshi signed and redeemed the ticket as required, Willis' attorney said.

Mi Hyun Moon walked into a Queens deli to get $5 in change — and walked out with $5 million.

The former New York resident was in town visiting friends last month when she purchased a Lotto ticket on a whim and scored the huge jackpot. It was the first she ever bought.

"It was surreal," Moon said yesterday. "I'm overjoyed!"

The 40-year-old mom of two is a native of Korea who lived for 20 years in Queens before moving just outside of Philadelphia.

She makes regular visits to the city, and on Sept. 14, decided to duck into the Imperial Deli on 21st Street in Long Island City to get some change before her bus ride home. She had to buy something to get the change, and decided to buy a Lotto ticket.

The Illinois Lottery held its fifth-ever Millionaire Raffle drawing yesterday -- the second on Halloween -- which instantly created four millionaires.

The Arizona Lottery announced their "Holiday Edition" of the Millionaire Raffle game that will award more than $3 million in total cash prizes, including one $1 million grand prize and a special Early Bird drawing on Nov. 19 worth $100,000.

A five-time lottery winner from Canada had his latest win disputed by a group alleging the winning ticket was part of a group purchase.

A man cheated of his million-dollar jackpot wants the Texas Lottery to pay up.

Buddy Roogow is leaving the Maryland Lottery, and has accepted the post of Executive Director of the D.C. Lottery and Charitable Games.

The California Lottery will pay $264,000 in additional winnings to nine people whose names were mistakenly transposed on forms during a lottery game show.

A Mableton, Georgia, man whose home was heavily damaged by floods last month has won $250,000 playing the Georgia lottery.