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California Lottery director resigns amid investigationsNews Story
California State Lottery Director Hugo Lopez is stepping down immediately, he announced in an email to lottery staff on Friday. Lopez has led the department since 2015. It's been under scrutiny from the Department of Justice and the State Controller's Office since August, when anonymous employees sent a letter to former Gov. Jerry Brown's office alleging misconduct among senior executives at sales conferences. Lopez in his message said he was proud of the department's performance, particul
Jun 10, 2019, 8:18 am - Lottery News

Michigan man wins jackpot after following the same lottery routine for 30 yearsNews Story
A Michigan man who has stuck to the same lottery-playing routine for the past 30 years had his habits finally pay off when he won a $167,407 jackpot. I have been buying a seven-draw Fantasy 5 ticket at the same store every Monday for 30 years, said the lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous. When I checked the numbers the morning after the drawing and saw they matched the numbers on my ticket, I was elated. The 58-year-old player bought his winning ticket at Campbell's Party Store,
May 15, 2019, 8:07 am - Lottery News

Thinking of going off the grid after winning the lottery? Not so fastNews Story
Everyone dreams of it: having a small piece of paper with the right numbers printed on it and winning the life-changing $200 million, $700 million or $1 billion jackpot. But what happens after you win? Many winners decide to remain anonymous or at least try to but that can be difficult when many states demand that the winners of large jackpots show their faces at news conferences. At his own news conference in Madison, Wis., Manuel Franco, 24, who in a Powerball drawing last month won $768
Apr 25, 2019, 3:29 pm - Lottery News

GOP bill would keep Wisconsin lottery winners secretNews Story
Two Republican lawmakers are introducing a bill that would allow lottery winners in Wisconsin to remain anonymous. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Rep. Gary Tauchen announced the bill Tuesday, about 40 minutes after Manuel Franco of West Allis appeared a Madison news conference to reveal he had won a $768 million Powerball jackpot, the third largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. Current state law doesn't allow lottery winners to remain anonymous. Tauchen said in a news release announcing
Apr 24, 2019, 2:28 pm - Lottery News

Arizona becomes latest state to shield lottery winners' namesNews Story
Arizona joined a growing number of states allowing winners of big lottery jackpots to stay anonymous Wednesday after Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation letting winners of jackpots of $100,000 or more request that their names not be made public. The move comes as privacy concerns are increasingly trumping lottery groups' wishes to publicize winners to boost sales and show that the games are fair. Four years ago, just five states allowed anonymous winners, but the number has now g
Apr 18, 2019, 8:51 am - Lottery News

Growing number of states move to shield lottery winnersNews Story
A growing number of states are moving to allow the winners of big lottery jackpots to stay anonymous as privacy concerns are increasingly trumping lottery groups' wishes to publicize winners to boost sales and show that the games are fair. Arizona could be the next state to join at least nine others with laws that let winners keep their names secret under a proposal headed to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. Four years ago, just five states allowed anonymous winners, and a handful of others allowe
Apr 14, 2019, 8:26 am - Lottery News

Powerball winner-turned lawmaker opposes anonymity for lottery prizewinnersNews Story
Includes video report A Powerball jackpot winner from Bondurant, Iowa, who was elected to the state legislature says he would oppose efforts to let lottery winners stay anonymous. At least nine states allow major lottery jackpot winners to stay anonymous, and some other states allow a form of anonymity by claiming prizes through a private legal entity. Earlier this year, Virginia became the latest state to allow lottery winners to remain anonymous but only if their prize is greater than $1
Apr 11, 2019, 10:00 am - Lottery News

Audit of California Lottery finds over $305,000 in improper or dubious spendingNews Story
California Lottery officials tallied more than $305,000 in improper or questionable spending over the last four years that included travel, food, gifts to employees and entertainment expenses, a state audit concluded Tuesday. Among the improper expenses, the lottery agency spent $21,666 to give staff logo-branded swag such as T-shirts, backpacks, lip balm and iPad cases, labeling the purchases learning aids and training tools, according to the audit by state Controller Betty Yee. The finan
Apr 11, 2019, 9:32 am - Lottery News

Virginia lottery jackpot winners can stay anonymous, starting in JulyNews Story
A new law passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by the Governor prohibits the Virginia Lottery from disclosing information about big jackpot winners. The bill was unanimously passed by the House, and it passed the Senate in a vote of 34 to 5. A similar bill was introduced by Senator Lionell Spruill, Sr. who represents part of Chesapeake. Governor Ralph Northam signed the bill into law on February 27. When the bill goes into effect this summer, the Virginia Lottery will not
Apr 5, 2019, 7:35 pm - Lottery News

California Lottery official dismissed amid investigationsNews Story
A senior California Lottery executive has been dismissed from his position six months after anonymous state employees sent a letter to the Governor's Office complaining about rowdy behavior among a group of the lottery's top brass. Deputy Director of Sales James David Cole's dismissal comes amid ongoing investigations into hiring practices and alleged misconduct by senior lottery executives during a 2016 sales conference. Cole was notified Feb. 1 that his employment would be officially ter
Mar 26, 2019, 9:23 am - Lottery News