Florida Lottery joins Powerball
January start date; drawings will move to Florida
Florida Lottery officials on Wednesday said they will add the national Powerball game to the state's portfolio in January and become the new host for the game's semiweekly drawings.
Florida was the only state with a lottery to not offer a multi-state game.
Powerball the multi-state lottery game known for its mega-jackpots that can top $300 million is bouncing into Florida lottery retailers in January.
Florida becomes the 30th state t ...
Jul 3, 2008, 11:32 am - Lottery News forum
Lottery scratch games still being sold after jackpots are gone
Feeling lucky today?
Then don't buy a $20 scratch-off ticket for the New Jersey Lottery's $1,000,000 Explosion game.
Your chances of winning the $1 million top prize are Z-E-R-O.
The six top prizes were awarded months ago, but the $20 tickets are still on sale. The best prize available today is $10,000.
State lotteries are coming under renewed criticism for selling scratch-off tickets after the top prizes have been given away. The latest challenge comes from a professor who says ...
Jun 30, 2008, 1:22 pm - Lottery News forum
Man claims $16M Florida Lotto prize
Played new Lotto feature to up his winnings by $10 million
First winner of Lotto Plus feature
A Bradenton, Florida, man Monday stepped forward to claim his winnings for a $16 million lottery ticket.
Charles E. Hill, 56, took the one-time, lump-sum payment of $9,072,011 on the ticket he purchased May 10 at Bud's Mini Mart, 1000 Carlton Arms Blvd., according to a Florida Lottery press release.
Hill purchased a $2 ticket that upped his winnings by $10 million over the $6 million ja ...
May 21, 2008, 7:40 am - Lottery News forum
Judge tosses wife's Lotto suit -- for now
A Miami-Dade judge on Thursday said the wife of a lottery winner cannot go forward with a lawsuit against her spouse until she proves the money should belong to her.
She has no identifiable legal rights at this time, Circuit Judge Jennifer D. Bailey said. Where does the law say you automatically have a right to participate in the proceeds?
Bailey temporarily dismissed the lawsuit Donna Campbell filed against her husband, Arnim Ramdass, an American Airlines mechanic who hit a $19 millio ...
May 17, 2008, 6:46 pm - Lottery News forum
$1 Quick Pick nets lottery riches
Windfall will include numerous taxes before state cuts final check
Kenneth Parsons, 59, of Live Oak, Florida, last week turned in the winning Mega Money ticket at the Florida Lottery's Tallahassee headquarters.
Parsons opted to forego monthly payments from the $800,000 annuity jackpot and instead opted to take a lump sum payment of $549,646.
Before Parsons can enjoy his riches, however, the Internal Revenue Service requires the Florida Lottery withhold 25 percent from each prize greater ...
May 5, 2008, 9:54 am - Lottery News forum
Lottery winner facing tax fraud trial dies
Editor's Note: A less in-depth news story about this lottery winner was posted earlier today: $13 million Florida Lotto winner dies a pauper
Former lottery multi-millionaire Alex Toth, who was broke and facing tax fraud charges, has died at the age of 60.
Toth was scheduled to go on trial in June, accused of filing fake tax returns with his wife, Rhoda, who has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
By the time the couple were charged in 2006, authorities said they appeared to have ...
Apr 25, 2008, 7:12 pm - Lottery News forum
$13 million Florida Lotto winner dies a pauper
A former Florida Lotto multi-millionaire has died nearly broke.
Alex Toth's attorney says he was ill and still facing federal tax fraud charges when he died at age 60. The county health department says he died April 5 but a cause was not listed.
Alex and Rhoda Toth won a $13 million jackpot in 1990. But the Pasco County couple say most of the money ran out years ago, spent on gambling, gifts and luxuries.
They were charged in 2006 with filing false tax returns. Alex Toth was scheduled t ...
Apr 25, 2008, 2:37 pm - Lottery News forum
As Fla. lottery sales slow, schools stand to lose
Penny-pinching Floridians aren't playing the lottery as much as expected, and that's bad news for state legislators trying to minimize school budget cuts next year.
Lackluster ticket sales have prompted state economists to reduce their projection for this year's sales by $47 million. They also scaled back projections for the next two years by $159 million.
The news just gets better and better, huh? said a wry Rep. Ray Sansom, R-Destin, the House budget chairman.
The lower predictions ...
Apr 14, 2008, 8:46 am - Lottery News forum
New Florida Lotto playslips a bother to some
Some players annoyed by re-writing slips used 'for years'; don't understand new jackpot options
As the Florida Lottery made changes to its Lotto game, a Lauderhill woman claimed the $3 million jackpot from the March 1 game.
Melony Gregory, of Lauderhill, chose the one-time, lump-sum payment, and will receive $1,711,642 after taxes.
Meanwhile, Lotto players faced a slightly longer wait to purchase tickets for Wednesday night's drawing, the first since the Florida Lottery made changes to ...
Mar 6, 2008, 11:35 am - Lottery News forum
Tonight's Fla. Lotto drawing first to let players increase jackpot
Also first drawing to use new playslips
Lotto players who buy their tickets on the day of the drawing need to give themselves a few extra minutes to get tickets for tonight's drawing. Tonight's is the first drawing since the Florida Lottery made changes to Lotto and the old play slips no longer work.
The big change is that players can spend $1 or $2 extra to increase the size of the Lotto jackpot.
Tonight's jackpot is $3 million and a $1 play buys a chance to win that amount or a cha ...
Mar 5, 2008, 2:09 pm - Lottery News forum
