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Mega Millions lottery jackpot to be a quarter-billion for FridayNews Story
Millions and millions of tickets sold, but no one managed to pick the right combination of numbers in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game. The $200 million dollars up for grabs in Tuesday night's game went without a top winner, hiking the jackpot to $250 million for Friday.But 13 people in eight states came awfully close, matching five of the six winning numbers. Each of those tickets is worth $250,000.The second-place tickets were sold in California (2), Georgia (2), Maryland, Michigan,
Sep 14, 2005, 8:54 am - Lottery News

Gtech lottery, gaming units may be split in saleNews Story
If Gtech Holdings Inc. is sold, as recent reports suggest, it may be marketed in pieces to buyers interested in its global lottery operations and gaming equipment business, analysts told Bloomberg News.The Wall Street Journal published a report Tuesday indicating Gtech received an unsolicited expression of interest from Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s private equity unit. Gtech, the world's biggest seller of computerized lottery systems, told Bloomberg News Monday it was considering an unsolicited
Sep 14, 2005, 7:21 am - Lottery News

Lottery vendors will fight for N.C. lottery businessNews Story
Before North Carolina's lottery starts early next year, a handful of companies will jockey to win one of the state's biggest payouts: a lucrative contract to run the games.The organization of the state's lottery is still in its early stages, following the General Assembly's approval late last month. But the six major companies that operate lotteries around the globe are already salivating at the prospect of supplying North Carolina with gaming equipment, software and expertise.North Carolina rep
Sep 12, 2005, 7:30 am - Lottery News

Indiana Lottery has limit for Pick 3 and Pick 4 NumbersNews Story
The Hoosier Lottery has at least one unhappy player, and he's not unhappy because he lost. He's angry that he wasn't allowed to play at all.Ken Myers of Fort Wayne, who plays the Daily 3 and Daily 4 numbers regularly, sent us a copy of a letter he sent to lottery officials, complaining that from time to time, the lottery cuts off betting on certain numbers. It has happened to him, he says, and others he knows.You can imagine what a player's response might be if he tried to bet four numbers and w
Aug 26, 2005, 8:53 am - Lottery News

Power failure shuts down Wisconsin lottery salesNews Story
A computer system outage prevented Wisconsin lottery players from purchasing tickets or validating winning tickets for such games as Powerball or Pick 3 for about three hours, a state Department of Revenue spokeswoman says.Ticket sales and prize validations for computerized games were affected when the outage occurred Monday about 11:30 a.m. at GTECH, which provides the Wisconsin Lottery with hardware and software for lottery sales, Meredith Helgerson said.A battery backup system failed to kick
Jul 12, 2005, 10:00 pm - Lottery News

Calif. Democrat criticizes lottery's 'weak case'News Story
The state lottery said Thursday it would continue selling Mega Millions tickets as it fights an anti-gambling group's lawsuit that seeks an immediate shutdown on the grounds the multi-state game is unconstitutional in California.But a state senator said an uphill legal battle ultimately could cost schools hundreds of millions of dollars and permanently damage the lottery's reputation. The lottery is going into court with a fairly weak case, said state Sen. Dean Florez, a Bakersfield-area Democr
Jul 8, 2005, 2:51 pm - Lottery News

S.C. Lottery posts wrong numbers; causes pay off problemsNews Story
When Roy Corbitt went to collect on a winning lottery ticket, he was expecting a payout of $9 or $10. I know I had three numbers. I didn't really know I had four. That's why I was shocked when they guy said, 'you won $600'. When Corbitt went to the lottery claims office to collect his winnings, he was told that there was a problem with his ticket.He wasn't alone.Corbitt said several people also came to claim their money. A lot them had $600 or $700 like I did, Corbitt explained.But instead
Jun 28, 2005, 1:02 pm - Lottery News

New tri-state lottery game to go on sale SundayNews Story
Declining sales have prompted lottery officials from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to replace the Tri-State Heads or Tails game.The last Heads or Tails drawing is Saturday.Tickets for a new game, Tri-State Triple Play, are to go on sale Sunday, and the first drawing is Tuesday. Subsequent drawings will happen twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.Triple Play tickets will sell for $2.In the new game, players may choose 5 numbers from a field of 1 through 45, or they can have the lottery termina
Jun 24, 2005, 11:33 am - Lottery News

Maryland Lottery a case study in the science of random numbersNews Story
The Maryland Lottery provides a good example of why true lottery ball machines are much better than a computerized drawing for choosing lottery numbers. This is the super-secret lottery vault. It's 90 minutes before Tuesday's lunchtime picks, and Patrick Morton, the 35-year-old drawing manager for the Maryland State Lottery Agency, is only half joking as he hovers over a small keypad deep inside the studios of WJZ-TV.Beside the keypad is a large metal door - locked, alarmed, monitored by camera.
Jun 11, 2005, 2:29 am - Lottery News

UK Lottery to roll out 'Fast-Pay' cardNews Story
UK National Lottery operator Camelot is to launch a branded card that will enable shoppers to pay for lottery tickets at checkouts in thousands of retailers nationwide. The card, part of the National Lottery Fast Pay plan, will initially be rolled out to more than 1,000 Tesco stores by the end of the year.Other supermarkets, including Sainsbury's and Asda, are in talks with Camelot about adopting the system, which is designed to make playing its portfolio of games easier.Players fill out a draw
May 24, 2005, 9:53 am - Lottery News