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Are Computerized Lottery Drawings Truly Random?News Story
When the Powerball jackpot passes the point where greed justifies stupidity -- and, at $50 million, Saturday's drawing probably qualifies -- I've been known to hand the convenience-store clerk a $5 bill in exchange for a small slip of paper bearing five series of computer-selected numbers. Anything won that way, of course, would be the product of dumb luck. So when I don't win millions -- and I never have, or I wouldn't have to write this column -- I don't feel cheated. I've always been more
Jun 21, 2004, 7:28 am - Lottery News

Lottery winner's dreams live on after his deathNews Story
Despite a troubled past, James Craig's family said he had started to turn his life around long before he struck it rich and won a $9.7 million Indiana Lotto jackpot earlier this year. My brother had been incarcerated for petty (non-violent) crimes, but he used that time to better himself in many ways; especially through education, which helped get him paroled three years ago, said Ruth Craig.Craig said her brother earned both associate and bachelor degrees in business while he was enrolled in t
May 10, 2004, 6:37 am - Lottery News

Winning $4 million Hoosier Lotto ticket sold in South BendNews Story
There is only one winning ticket from Wednesday night's $4 million Hoosier Lotto drawing and it was purchased in South Bend, Indiana.As of Thursday night, no one had come forward with the winning ticket.Discount Liquor, 2609 S. Michigan St., sold the ticket. When store management got the call from lottery representatives Thursday morning, they thought it was a joke.Discount Liquor will get a good chunk of money just for selling the winning ticket -- $37,000 to be exact. It's all customers and st
Apr 9, 2004, 7:38 am - Lottery News

War Dampens Indiana's Hope of International LotteryNews Story
Indiana's hopes of joining an international lottery -- boasting prizes as big as $500 million -- have become a casualty of war.Indiana was one of about 30 states and several foreign nations jockeying to organize the international game, which was expected to begin this year with one drawing each week.But talks of the game have stalled because several European nations have withdrawn, citing concerns about U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, Hoosier Lottery Director Jack Ross said. They felt they cou
Apr 6, 2004, 4:00 am - Lottery News

Laid off Indiana factory worker claims $89 million Powerball jackpotNews Story
Tim Rivers had a dream last Tuesday night that he'd won $200 million in the lottery.Rivers, 23, of Salem, who'd been laid off recently, told his family about the dream.They laughed at him.Rivers said he told his wife, Why can't that happen to us? It did.He and his wife, Pam, were the only winners of Saturday's $89 million Powerball jackpot. Because they opted for the lump-sum cash payout, the win was worth $49.9 million about $35 million after tax withholding.In an interview last night, Tim Riv
Mar 16, 2004, 7:07 am - Lottery News

Winning Powerball Ticket Worth $89 Million Sold in IndianaNews Story
The people that say lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice haven't spent much time in Indiana. For the fourth time in the last five months, someone from Indiana has won the Powerball jackpot.The winning ticket holder for Saturday night's draw now has a choice to make. They can take the $89 million annuity, which will be paid out in 30 payments over 29 years. Or, they can choose the cash option worth $49.9 million. The ticket holder will have 60 days after the ticket is validated to mak
Mar 15, 2004, 7:15 am - Lottery News

Indiana woman claims $6.5 million jackpotNews Story
A Greenwood, Indiana woman has claimed a $6.5 million Hoosier Lotto jackpot from a drawing nearly four months ago, lottery officials said Tuesday.Jennifer Diles bought the winning ticket for the Nov. 22 drawing at a convenience store in Shelbyville. She chose the annuity option and will receive about $248,000 a year before taxes over 26 years.Diles, 25, said she waited to claim the jackpot because she was considering her options on whether to take the annuity or cash payout. Diles, an instructio
Mar 10, 2004, 4:33 am - Lottery News

Indiana lottery player wins $1 millionNews Story
An Evansville, Indiana man who won $1,026,000 on a special edition of the Hoosier Millionaire show plans to use winnings to pay off his home mortgage.Jim Stepro's winnings in the Hoosier Millionaire Hysteria edition broadcast Saturday night brought his total winnings to $1,064,000.The show's special edition features the top six players from the previous 12 Hoosier Millionaire shows competing for a guaranteed $1 million in a basketball-themed game.The five other finalists and their winnings
Feb 23, 2004, 5:20 am - Lottery News

Group of 17 gets $9.7 million Indiana Lottery jackpotNews Story
A group of 17 people from Lake County, Indiana claimed a $9.7 million Hoosier Lottery jackpot on Tuesday.They took the $5.2 million immediate cash option for the Jan. 31 jackpot. After taxes, each winner will receive about $219,000.The county's previous lottery champ was Crown Point resident Landry McKee, who won $5 million in 1991.After learning they won earlier this month, the group incorporated itself as Kenyon LLC and on Tuesday sent its attorney, Brian Popp, to Indianapolis to claim the pr
Feb 18, 2004, 5:33 am - Lottery News

Indiana store looking for lottery winnerNews Story
The $100,000 ticket has gone unclaimedSomebody's pipe dream has come true - and the winner doesn't even know it yet.Riegel's Pipe Tobacco Shop, 624 S. Calhoun St., sold a Powerball ticket worth $100,000 on Nov. 22. But nobody has come to claimed the prize, said Frank Bougher, assistant manager.Signs were up in the downtown shop today asking the anonymous winner to come forward. If nobody claims the prize (by the deadline for) the drawing, the state gets to keep the money, Bougher said. We ha
Feb 10, 2004, 6:49 am - Lottery News