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Third suspect surrenders in national lottery rigging scandalNews Story
A third man charged in a still-unfolding, multi-million dollar lottery rigging scandal investigation surrendered to authorities in Iowa on Thursday, his attorney said. Robert Clark Rhodes II was arrested last spring in his home state of Texas by authorities there, after Iowa prosecutors charged him with two counts of fraud for helping a then-top lottery security official allegedly rig multiple jackpot drawings. Rhodes challenged the arrest in court, claiming investigators did not have suff
Apr 28, 2016, 3:43 pm - Lottery News

Preliminary hearing rescheduled for Tommy Tipton in lottery rigging caseNews Story
The latest case in a large-scale lottery rigging scheme is headed to the courtroom next week. Tommy Tipton turned himself in earlier this month after being charged with ongoing criminal conduct. Tommy's brother is former Multi-State Lottery Association employee Eddie Tipton, who is currently serving prison time for tampering with lottery equipment. Police say Eddie rigged the Hot Lotto game electronically to win him a jackpot for $16 million in December of 2010. Prosecutors recently
Apr 22, 2016, 9:53 am - Lottery News

Chinese media reports plans to restart online lottery salesNews Story
Chinese media is reporting that the government plans to restart its online lottery operations after ordering their suspension over a year ago. This weekend, the Economic Observer quoted an anonymous industry insider saying that Beijing authorities were preparing to authorize a trial of a new online lottery regime, but only after the government crafts the necessary regulations. The source offered no timeline for when these new regulations might be ready. Beijing ordered a 'temporary' suspen
Apr 17, 2016, 10:29 am - Lottery News

Michigan man arrested for impersonating lottery worker, stealing ticketsNews Story
Lake Orion police have arrested a suspected thief who they say posed as a lottery agent at several Oakland and Macomb county CVS stores in order to steal Michigan Lottery scratch-off tickets. Police Chief Jerry Narsh says investigators found unique clothing at the Pontiac home of David Witherspoon, 40, that also appears in store surveillance videos. Narsh said when officers confronted him, he confessed, saying, I just have to steal. Narsh says Lake Orion police were called to the CVS S
Apr 15, 2016, 9:01 am - Lottery News

Lottery rigging scandal prompts security audit in South DakotaNews Story
The scandal unfolding in Iowa, where software allowed some results to be rigged in multi-state lotto drawings, has added to concerns among South Dakota Lottery officials, spurring them to proceed Thursday in requesting proposals for a security review of South Dakota Lottery facilities. The review also would cover the statewide video-lottery system and the statewide lotto jackpot system. Each separately connects with hundreds of private businesses. The scratch-ticket system also would be
Apr 13, 2016, 7:22 pm - Lottery News

N.Y. man pleads guilty in bogus lottery schemeNews Story
A West Hempstead, New York, man pleaded guilty to federal charges in a Boston courtroom Friday in connection with his role in a fake lottery scam targeting senior citizens. Wilder Vladimir Merelan, 29, admitted he helped scheme to victimize people ranging in age from 69 to 91 between 2012 and 2015, according to the Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office. The victims were told they had won millions in a lottery but had to pay taxes first to the Internal Revenue Service before they could get t
Apr 11, 2016, 5:45 am - Lottery News

Investigators find Tipton's software code to rig computerized lottery drawingsNews Story
Last remaining defense shattered as investigators find and decipher jackpot rigging code A lottery vendor for years manipulated drawings to enrich himself and associates by installing software code that allowed him to predict winning numbers on specific days of the year, Iowa investigators alleged Wednesday. Authorities called the newly obtained forensic evidence a breakthrough in the investigation of alleged jackpot-fixing scheme by Eddie Tipton, former security director of the Multi-Stat
Apr 7, 2016, 8:32 am - Lottery News

Lottery scammer's brother facing criminal chargesNews Story
The brother of a former Iowa lottery security official convicted of fixing a 2010 Hot Lotto drawing in an attempt to win millions is now facing an Iowa criminal charge of his own, online records show. Tommy Tipton, of Flatonia, Texas, was booked into the Polk County Jail at about 4:40 a.m. Wednesday on a felony charge of ongoing criminal conduct. He posted a $25,000 bond and was released from the jail before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Tipton, 43, resigned his elected position as a Texas justi
Apr 6, 2016, 12:50 pm - Lottery News

Connecticut lottery bills failNews Story
Would have added online sales, removed ticket expiration Connecticut Lottery players won't get to enjoy buying tickets online or without expiration dates anytime soon. The legislature's Public Safety and Security Committee declined to vote on the proposals by its deadline Tuesday, after hearing opposition from lottery officials, convenience store owners and gambling addiction experts. There just wasn't support for these going forward, said state Sen. Timothy Larson, D-East Hartford, co
Mar 19, 2016, 8:40 pm - Lottery News

US man pleads guilty to participating in Jamaica-based lottery scamNews Story
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says a South Florida man has pleaded guilty for his role in a Jamaica-based telemarketing fraud scheme. Delroy Drummond, 26, of Broward County, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. Drummond is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, where he will face a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison. According to documents and information presented in co
Mar 15, 2016, 8:27 am - Lottery News