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New Tri-State lottery game debuting SundayNews Story
By Todd Northrop A new pick 5-style lottery game called Gimme 5 goes on sale Sunday in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont the states that collectively are known as 'Tri-State'. The first drawing for the new Gimme 5 game will be held Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine Lotteries are once again joining together to offer our players a new draw game, said Greg Smith, Executive Director of the Vermont Lottery. Tri-State Gimme 5 is a fresh, easy-to-play game that car
May 9, 2013, 12:52 pm - Lottery News

Loopholes allow some Michigan lottery winners to stay on welfareNews Story
A Michigan agency has removed more than 500 lottery winners from certain welfare programs because of a new state law that cross-references winners with recipients of some types of aid. But the Department of Human Services says many more welfare cases could be ended if what it calls loopholes were closed, or if laws were altered or expanded. The Department of Human Services on Monday issued a report that covers findings from April through December 2012. It relates to a law signed last Ap
Apr 16, 2013, 8:18 am - Lottery News

Judge throws out some charges against lottery-thieving brothersNews Story
An Onondaga County Court judge who dismissed attempted grand larceny charges against two brothers accused of stealing a winning $5 million lottery ticket in 2006 ruled the crime was beyond the statute of limitations. Judge Joseph Fahey upheld other charges brought against Andy Ashkar, 34, and Nayel Ashkar, 36, who are accused of taking a scratch-off lottery ticket from a customer at their father's convenience store on Oct. 27, 2006. Prosecutors contended that because the brothers waited to
Apr 16, 2013, 7:35 am - Lottery News

Lawmakers going after unclaimed lottery moneyNews Story
So a guy walks into a gas station, buys a scratch-off, wins a few bucks, gets distracted with some fool thing and eventually puts the lucky ticket through the wash in his Wranglers. It happens. No big deal. But for state lawmakers in a tough budget year nationwide, the unclaimed prizes are adding up to a tempting pot of cash. It's something we've seen an increased interest in this year, said Jon Griffin, a policy associate at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Washington.
Mar 4, 2013, 8:03 am - Lottery News

Statisticians search for how to beat the lotteryNews Story
You've probably heard the saying: Liars figure, but figures don't lie. Well, it's probably true the chances of winning a Powerball jackpot is more than 1 in 175-million. Still, there's always somebody that thinks they can beat the system. Whether it's your wedding anniversary, your birthday, your child's birthday, or the date of another event that's important to you, people typically pick random numbers as any state lottery official will tell you, every number drawn is completely random. A
Feb 20, 2013, 9:26 pm - Lottery News

Biggest lottery game ever in the works?News Story
Editor's Note: Lottery Post first reported details of the new national game under consideration nine months ago (Lottery leaders convene in D.C. to discuss future of games, Lottery Post, Apr. 26, 2012). It seems the rest of the media is finally catching up. The folks behind the nation's two biggest lotteries continue to dream of creating an even bigger game. The idea was widely reported a few years ago, when states got the OK to start selling both Mega Millions and Powerball. If we dev
Jan 25, 2013, 10:34 pm - Lottery News

Multi-state Wild Card game to changeNews Story
By Todd Northrop Starting with the Wednesday night drawing, the multi-state Wild Card 2 lottery game will undergo some minor changes that will make the jackpots a little bigger, while making the game a little harder to win. Wild Card 2 is currently available to play in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. After somebody wins the jackpot, the new starting jackpot will be $200,000 doubling the old starting jackpot of $100,000. Also, players who win the second prize by matchin
Jan 15, 2013, 2:18 pm - Lottery News

Millions in lottery winnings go unclaimed each yearNews Story
It is hard for some to believe, but even as some Americans dream of hitting it big in the Lotto, Powerball, and Mega Millions jackpots, for some it might have happened and whizzed by unnoticed. Happens all the time, says Illinois Lottery chief Michael Jones. People misinterpret whether they won or lost. People misplace tickets all the time. Jones said the lottery estimates about one percent of all lottery prizes go unclaimed. And, considering the Illinois games raked in about $3 billion
Jan 15, 2013, 8:47 am - Lottery News

Beware of sharks swimming in your office lottery poolNews Story
Linda Sebastian enjoys her job , but she knows exactly what would happen if the members of her office lottery pool hit their numbers and won Wednesday's record $500 million Powerball jackpot. My group, we'd wipe our whole floor out, she laughed. There'd be nobody left in the office. Even her boss is a member of the pool. I tease him all the time, she said. I say, 'I'll meet you at the lottery headquarters.' But if you join an office lottery pool, you may want to consult a lawyer firs
Nov 28, 2012, 9:15 am - Lottery News

Trial begins for man linked to double-murder by lottery ticketsNews Story
A Chicago man accused of fatally shooting a cashier and customer inside a Southwest Side convenience store in 2005 almost got away with it, but a trail that started with lottery tickets he'd purchased moments before the killings ultimately led police to him, prosecutors said Tuesday as the man's double-murder trial got underway. Timothy Fountain, 42, is charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery in the August 2005 shooting deaths of clerk Graciela Rodriguez, 37, and Nicholas Guerrero,
Oct 24, 2012, 7:35 am - Lottery News