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Illinois Lottery privatization announcement expected WednesdayNews Story
Southtown Star Editorial Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is about to make a billion-dollar decision to which most of us haven't paid much attention. For months, consortiums and companies have been working behind the scenes to become the jackpot winner of a prize that will set an international gambling precedent. Illinois is soon to become the first in the United States to turn over its state lottery operations to a privately owned company. How this experiment progresses undoubtedly will set preced
Sep 14, 2010, 8:08 am - Lottery News

Decision on privatizing Illinois Lottery 'within days'News Story
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn could select a private firm to manage the Illinois State Lottery as soon as next week, but some lawmakers would rather keep the lottery under state government. Two bidders are vying for the right to privately manage the Illinois State Lottery. Earlier this week at a public hearing held in Chicago, the Northstar Lottery Group and the Camelot Group both presented their proposals to a state commission. The Northstar Lottery Group is a combination of three different com
Sep 10, 2010, 8:37 am - Lottery News

$18.5M lottery winner 'scraping by'News Story
'I wish I'd won a billion dollars' not just $18.5M Ten years after he and his wife won $64 million in the Big Game lottery, Alex Snelius wishes he'd won more money. The 73-year-old Palos Heights man doesn't want to replace his 2001 Lincoln Town Car. Nor does he want a bigger home (he'd actually prefer something much smaller). I wish I'd won a billion dollars so I could keep everyone happy, said Snelius, a retired truck mechanic originally from Lithuania. Snelius opted for a single $18.
Aug 24, 2010, 10:21 am - Lottery News

$250,000 Mega Million prize may be forfeitedNews Story
Illinois Lottery officials say a player who bought a second-place winning Mega Millions ticket nearly a year ago in Des Plaines needs to redeem the $250,000 ticket by month's end or lose the prize. The second place Mega ticket for the July 31, 2009 drawing was sold at a 7-Eleven store on Lee St. in Des Plaines. The ticket matched all five numbers but missed the Mega Ball. The winning numbers were 17, 35, 44, 52 and 56 with a Mega Ball number of 22 and a Megaplier number of 2. If the winnin
Jul 27, 2010, 3:36 am - Lottery News

Illinois lottery winner sends kids to Cubs gameNews Story
As Loyd Elam watched a group of children board a chartered bus bound for the Cubs game at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Wednesday, he looked as if he might change his mind and hop on to go with them. But Elam stayed behind in Lincoln to look for them later on television, hoping to spot them wearing their yellow hats, after paying for the trip with money he won nearly 20 years ago playing the Illinois Lottery. Since winning $7 million in 1991, Elam has been paying for similar trips for 35 to 40
Jul 1, 2010, 10:00 am - Lottery News

Illinois Lottery solicits companies for privatizationNews Story
Lottery seeks 'private manager' to solve many of it problems The Illinois Lottery today asked private firms for expressions of interest in managing its operations for a period of up to 10 years. The Illinois General Assembly mandated private management of the Lottery in late 2009. Initial expressions of interest are due May 24 and the private manager is expected to be named before the end of the year. The General Assembly mandated private management of the Lottery, together with sale of
May 13, 2010, 3:49 pm - Lottery News

Illinois Lottery may privatize lottery to solve budget woesNews Story
The search for revenue to help fix to the state's budget woes has put a spotlight on the Illinois State Lottery. For more than three decades, the lottery has been a steady, reliable source of revenue for the state. Since 1985, it has brought in more than a half billion dollars annually. But, just as other state and local governments have sold off assets to help balance their bottom line and avoid tax hikes, the lottery is now being marketed as a potential target for a hybrid brand of priva
Apr 5, 2010, 7:03 am - Lottery News

Illinois Lottery's Raffle creates four lucky millionairesNews Story
The Illinois Lottery held its sixth-ever Millionaire Raffle drawing yesterday the third on St. Patrick's Day which instantly created four new millionaires. The complete list of winning numbers for the raffle can be found at Lottery Post's Illinois Lottery Results page (www.lotterypost.com/results/il). The raffle drawing was held on March 17th St. Patrick's Day a day traditionally thought of as lucky . The four new millionaires will certainly think so. In addition to four $1 million top
Mar 18, 2010, 9:27 am - Lottery News

States go all in, expand gaming to plug the budgetNews Story
Faced with a drop in gambling revenue, states are adding games, considering new casinos and increasing lottery options anything to keep their cut of the profits rolling in. States are adamant that they don't want to take advantage of anyone, but with budgets in free-fall and tax increases a losing hand politically, lawmakers acknowledge they are dependent on gambling dollars. At least 18 states this year are looking to expand games of chance because of a drop-off of anywhere from 5 to 14 p
Mar 15, 2010, 9:24 pm - Lottery News

Police arrest four in Chicago lottery ticket scamNews Story
Police arrested two men and two women earlier this week who allegedly ran a lottery ticket scam that targeted elderly Hispanic victims. The four worked as a team and typically sought out elderly Hispanic victims at stores and on the street, according to a release from the Chicago Police. The suspects would approach a victim two at a time and explain they were illegal immigrants and had a winning lottery ticket of more than one million dollars. They would then offer to share the winnings if
Nov 8, 2009, 8:53 am - Lottery News