Early talks for a joint Powerball-British lottery game

Feb 12, 2009, 9:57 am (39 comments)

Powerball

Will Powerball marry up with the British lottery or even Euro Millions, creating the largest lottery jackpots on the face of the earth?

Maybe.  But Charles Strutt, director of the 32-member Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball from offices in Iowa, said it was still too early to tell.

According to Ed Van Petten, Kansas Lottery director and a former chairman of the multi-state Powerball group, talk of a world lottery game has been around since 2000.

"They've been back at the table the last year or so, and it's been pretty hot and heavy the past four or five months," Van Petten said Monday of the would-be global lottery talks.

The volume ratcheted up sharply after The Times of London reported that Camelot, the company that runs the British lottery, had signed an "exploratory agreement" with Powerball aimed at launching "the world's biggest draw, with mega-jackpots of more than 250 million" British pounds — $367.4 million at current exchange rates.

The British newspaper said the game could start as early as 2011.

"There's lots of inaccuracies in it," said Strutt of that Feb. 1 story. He added that he would meet next week with Camelot officials and that a statement could be issued at that time.

Camelot in 2004 helped to launch EuroMillions, which is now played in Britain, France, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal.

Powerball's record $365 million jackpot was won in February 2006 by eight co-workers at a plant in Lincoln, Neb.

Thanks to chasingadream for the tip.

Kansas City Star

Comments

chasingadream's avatarchasingadream

this will be very interesting to see how it plays out. I definitly think I would be playing this game but I can't see the tickets costing only a dollar with the currency exchange.

Powerball is moving towards the future of gambling. What in the world is MegaMillions doing?!? I remember there were some talks between PB and MM about having a national lottery but after a few months it just kinda faded away. Kudos to PB

JADELottery's avatarJADELottery

Pick 6 of 99 and Pick 2 of 100.... I'm ready for it!!!  Mmmmwwwaaahahah.

Odds 1 in a 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 ...  bring it on!!!

Drivedabizness

Quote: Originally posted by chasingadream on Feb 12, 2009

this will be very interesting to see how it plays out. I definitly think I would be playing this game but I can't see the tickets costing only a dollar with the currency exchange.

Powerball is moving towards the future of gambling. What in the world is MegaMillions doing?!? I remember there were some talks between PB and MM about having a national lottery but after a few months it just kinda faded away. Kudos to PB

There may have been "talks" but not by anyone with any influence.

 

The folks that run PB hate / strongly dislike some of the leaders of the MM consortium - and vice versa. The egos involved are enormous. 

 

BTW - for many of the members, MM is a much stronger product than PB would be.

gocart1's avatargocart1

I think its kind of funny that ,i always dream of hitting pb or mm just to buy my own airplane so that i could fly to England to buy euromillion tickets and win that also.

Well....now that i've come back down to earth,i just wonder what the odds will be in winning game of that size...US FlagPartyParty

RJOh's avatarRJOh

I don't see such a game happening in this country.  The U.S. and other countries have very different ideas about how to run lotteries.  Some countries keep half of sales as their share for running the games and don't tax the winners where in the U.S. the states keeps half of sales for running the games and along with the Federal government tax the winners for 30% of his winnings.  I can't see U.S. politicians allowing states to contribute to a jackpot where they might not be able to tax the winners. 

Beside a 50 millions dollar jackpot would look more attractive in a country that advertised its actual value rather than its potential annuity value and didn't tax the winners.

pumpi76

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Feb 12, 2009

I don't see such a game happening in this country.  The U.S. and other countries have very different ideas about how to run lotteries.  Some countries keep half of sales as their share for running the games and don't tax the winners where in the U.S. the states keeps half of sales for running the games and along with the Federal government tax the winners for 30% of his winnings.  I can't see U.S. politicians allowing states to contribute to a jackpot where they might not be able to tax the winners. 

Beside a 50 millions dollar jackpot would look more attractive in a country that advertised its actual value rather than its potential annuity value and didn't tax the winners.

I wonder what will happen to Megamillions if they join...Is this mean that half the states of the USA you will be able to play the global lottery and the other half you only play megamillions...

Another question, didn't a british pount was worth like 2 dollars or 1.9 dollars...?

I wonder what will happen when it climbs...: D

my question is will it generate enough money for all the countries involved...

I just hope is a combination game and not a permutation game because if it is a permutation game, it will kill us all...I rather a Pick6/300 + Pick1/150 than a Pick8/0-15...I've been doing the calculations and realize that if there is one moment where you need to start praying is now...YOu need to start praying they don't create a permutation lottery game for that particular game...

Forgive me for saying this, but knowing the FBI and other government officials they will try and make it a permutation game....

what it is sorry is that they don't even sell mini-supercomputers affordables by most people to at least create algorithms and track the game...

pumpi76

Quote: Originally posted by pumpi76 on Feb 12, 2009

I wonder what will happen to Megamillions if they join...Is this mean that half the states of the USA you will be able to play the global lottery and the other half you only play megamillions...

Another question, didn't a british pount was worth like 2 dollars or 1.9 dollars...?

I wonder what will happen when it climbs...: D

my question is will it generate enough money for all the countries involved...

I just hope is a combination game and not a permutation game because if it is a permutation game, it will kill us all...I rather a Pick6/300 + Pick1/150 than a Pick8/0-15...I've been doing the calculations and realize that if there is one moment where you need to start praying is now...YOu need to start praying they don't create a permutation lottery game for that particular game...

Forgive me for saying this, but knowing the FBI and other government officials they will try and make it a permutation game....

what it is sorry is that they don't even sell mini-supercomputers affordables by most people to at least create algorithms and track the game...

it will be computerized...It has to be...

pumpi76

Whatever size they create it it will continue to be a lottery and not a "LOTTO STOCK EXCHANGE", which would have been better...

As usual, mankind or a section of mankind with its ego come out short and fail to see a vision, thinking the sun revolves around the earth...

And want to know something, they think i am saying this out of revenge when i am saying it for their own good and for the goodness of Mankind...

How nice it will have been a Gigantic Continental Lotto Stock Exchange giving multiple people 1 million a year for life, or 3 million a year for life..

You can advanced if you have greed and fail to see a vision, lack of vision...And let me guess, all that money recaudada/gathered is going to education, when it is not worthed...Have you been paying attention to the latest details in education advancement...

Better will have been a "Gigantic Continental LOtto Stock Exchange", it will have put Europe en Grande [in the spotlight]....

I wanted to MegaMillions and Powerball to combined to create a National lottery IN THE USA. but once you start crossing continental lines is better a "Global Lotto Stock Exchange"....And all this damage is been created by 1 or 2 companies...

MaddMike51

I hope they don't combine Powerball with any lottery.They'd just end up changing the matrix again..and not for the good.Hell,its damn near impossible to win as it is now.

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

I agree with MaddMike51 above.

But just in case PB linked up with a British lottery, wouldn't it be nice if somehow, British rules were applied all the way around, i.e. NO TAXES on the winnings.

chasingadream's avatarchasingadream

"The folks that run PB hate / strongly dislike some of the leaders of the MM consortium - and vice versa. The egos involved are enormous. "

 

WOW! I did not realize this.......I always kinda figured them to be like Coke and Pepsi. Yeah one might not like the other but without competition where would the other stand.......very interesting

mjwinsmith's avatarmjwinsmith

It won't work in the U.S., for reasons already given and remember, the U.S. restricts playing on-line which is another DUMB idea. Hey the U.S. already screwed up the world economy, it's better it stayed out of it anyway until it can get it's financial house in order.

diamondpalace's avatardiamondpalace

Very exciting. World wide game. Since each countries have their own rules, the US will continue to Tax the winners from the states, "You live under our rooft you go by our rules" mentality. We'll see how all this will work out.

MaddMike51

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Feb 13, 2009

I agree with MaddMike51 above.

But just in case PB linked up with a British lottery, wouldn't it be nice if somehow, British rules were applied all the way around, i.e. NO TAXES on the winnings.

Now you are dreaming.The United States isn't going to walk away from tax dollars....to many politicians on the take for that to happen.

Tenaj's avatarTenaj

Quote: Originally posted by MaddMike51 on Feb 12, 2009

I hope they don't combine Powerball with any lottery.They'd just end up changing the matrix again..and not for the good.Hell,its damn near impossible to win as it is now.

I agree with MaddMike51.  That was the first thing I thought about.  Too many people in it already.

BaristaExpress's avatarBaristaExpress

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Feb 12, 2009

I don't see such a game happening in this country.  The U.S. and other countries have very different ideas about how to run lotteries.  Some countries keep half of sales as their share for running the games and don't tax the winners where in the U.S. the states keeps half of sales for running the games and along with the Federal government tax the winners for 30% of his winnings.  I can't see U.S. politicians allowing states to contribute to a jackpot where they might not be able to tax the winners. 

Beside a 50 millions dollar jackpot would look more attractive in a country that advertised its actual value rather than its potential annuity value and didn't tax the winners.

I Agree!

Think's avatarThink

A tech bubble, a credit bubble, what next?  A lottery bubble?

I cant see why the individual states would want to ruin their lotteries further with all the money flowing out of state in those jackpots.  They would be gambling with their own income via tax dollars.  It could be years before anybody in their state won a jackpot and they would get to collect any taxes on it!   Why would the states want that??

They are looking for a more steady stream of taxes.

LckyLary

I support the combining of Mega and Powerball, but not if it means a tougher matrix, unless perhaps there is a way to win 5 or 10 MILL with similar odds to a regular Lotto game, and if the regular Lotto games are dumped because nobody plays them as much. I would like not having to travel to PA to play although once in a while it's fun. We should be able to play via online whatever the new game is. When a matrix changes it needs to make some of the lesser prizes easier even if the big jackpot is harder. PB should have added more bonus balls and less white balls. Also think of it this way as far as the price per ticket. For every $1 they keep 50c so for every $2 they'd keep $1, so what's the diff other than you have to use a better algorithm and play 1/2 the tickets? Some games in PA are already $2, and PowerPlay is $2 but the non-Jackpot prizes are at least 2X. I do win MM prizes much more often.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

What would the jackpots be like? $500M? I don't think politicians would like that too much. A man or woman  with that kind of money without any dirt on them for leverage? are you kidding me? We'll see, won't we? :)

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

Quote: Originally posted by Think on Feb 13, 2009

A tech bubble, a credit bubble, what next?  A lottery bubble?

I cant see why the individual states would want to ruin their lotteries further with all the money flowing out of state in those jackpots.  They would be gambling with their own income via tax dollars.  It could be years before anybody in their state won a jackpot and they would get to collect any taxes on it!   Why would the states want that??

They are looking for a more steady stream of taxes.

The states don't lose anything by adding a multi-state lottery, or an international one, if one should come along. The state collects their 50% right off the top, before putting a dime into the prize pool. The worst that happens is that the jackpot is won in another state, and the state doesn't collect any tax on the winnings. That's balanced against the taxes they collect on money spent in another state when the winning ticket is sold in the state. Even if they never sell a jackpot winner, all they miss out on is a chance to collect tax on jackpots that wouldn't have existed anyway, if they didn't offer that game.

The only way a state will ever lose out by adding a new game is if that somehow reduces the total amount spent on tickets in that state, and that has never happened. Losing  a few million in sales for the state lottery isn't bad for the state when they sell more than that for the newly added multi-state game.

Think's avatarThink

Quote: Originally posted by KY Floyd on Feb 14, 2009

The states don't lose anything by adding a multi-state lottery, or an international one, if one should come along. The state collects their 50% right off the top, before putting a dime into the prize pool. The worst that happens is that the jackpot is won in another state, and the state doesn't collect any tax on the winnings. That's balanced against the taxes they collect on money spent in another state when the winning ticket is sold in the state. Even if they never sell a jackpot winner, all they miss out on is a chance to collect tax on jackpots that wouldn't have existed anyway, if they didn't offer that game.

The only way a state will ever lose out by adding a new game is if that somehow reduces the total amount spent on tickets in that state, and that has never happened. Losing  a few million in sales for the state lottery isn't bad for the state when they sell more than that for the newly added multi-state game.

I was really pondering the bubble aspect of it from the inevitable drop in ticket sales when people realize how few and far between the jackpots are in their area.  Most people I know would not play any game after awhile if no jackpots are paid out anywhere near their area.

Heck the Mega Millions has been on for comming on 13 years and the closest win to here has been about 400 miles away.  Even the second prizes are few and far between.  There have been two awarded around here so that is 6 1/2 years between second prizes!  On top of that I have never heard of anyone around here getting $10,000 on Mega.  With the multi country game it would only get worse!  I am begining to believe a Mega Mill jackpot might come around here once every couple hundred years.  So it really wouldn't be worth trying to chase a multi country pot since that would be thousands of years before it hit anywhere near here.

The bubble would burst and down would come ticket sales, tax revenue and all.

ambelamba

 I heard a similar news from Korean websites. Camelot is planning for a worldwide lottery game and the jackpot amount will start from at least 500 million dollars. And they plan to make the odd really hard to beat so multi-billion-dollar jackpot will not be uncommon.

 Actually, I don't want to play that kind of lottery. Winning a jackpot will put me on some major international kidnapping scheme. The winner's identity must be kept secret no matter what.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by Think on Feb 14, 2009

I was really pondering the bubble aspect of it from the inevitable drop in ticket sales when people realize how few and far between the jackpots are in their area.  Most people I know would not play any game after awhile if no jackpots are paid out anywhere near their area.

Heck the Mega Millions has been on for comming on 13 years and the closest win to here has been about 400 miles away.  Even the second prizes are few and far between.  There have been two awarded around here so that is 6 1/2 years between second prizes!  On top of that I have never heard of anyone around here getting $10,000 on Mega.  With the multi country game it would only get worse!  I am begining to believe a Mega Mill jackpot might come around here once every couple hundred years.  So it really wouldn't be worth trying to chase a multi country pot since that would be thousands of years before it hit anywhere near here.

The bubble would burst and down would come ticket sales, tax revenue and all.

Of the 13 MM jackpots won in 2008, 3 were won in Michigan.  There are 12 MegaMillions states, you can't expect all the winners to be from Michigan.

10/03/08 - $43M
06/13/08 - $50M
04/01/08 - $135M

savagegoose's avatarsavagegoose

I hope they add australia to the pool as well, not that we're big spenders but we could sure use some one elses money to boost the economy.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

I'll tell you this, Massachusetts has only won one jackpot since 2003 december, when I first moved here. I guess someone can say we've been winning jack.

Ohio and NY and Michigan to me are the jackpot states. And Georgia too.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Feb 15, 2009

I'll tell you this, Massachusetts has only won one jackpot since 2003 december, when I first moved here. I guess someone can say we've been winning jack.

Ohio and NY and Michigan to me are the jackpot states. And Georgia too.

Judging by the population of each state as reported on the LottoReport website, California, New York and Texas should be the biggest winners.  New York buy more MM tickets per person than any of the other states.

California - 35,893,799
Georgia - 8,829,383
Illinois - 12,713,634
Maryland - 5,558,058
Massachusetts - 6,416,505
Michigan - 10,112,620
New Jersey - 8,698,879
New York - 19,227,088
Ohio - 11,459,011
Texas - 23,899,000
Virginia - 7,459,827
Washington - 6,203,788 

Think's avatarThink

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Feb 15, 2009

Of the 13 MM jackpots won in 2008, 3 were won in Michigan.  There are 12 MegaMillions states, you can't expect all the winners to be from Michigan.

10/03/08 - $43M
06/13/08 - $50M
04/01/08 - $135M

I wrote-

"Heck the Mega Millions has been on for comming on 13 years and the closest win to here has been about 400 miles away."

I take it you have cursor hypnosis RJ Smile

louise black

Quote: Originally posted by Think on Feb 15, 2009

I wrote-

"Heck the Mega Millions has been on for comming on 13 years and the closest win to here has been about 400 miles away."

I take it you have cursor hypnosis RJ Smile

i think until luck  is on your side you can just keep trying blindly!!

louise black

 now i would like to say i  think it would be a bad idea to consolidat the lottery international we have a hard enough time trying win with 13 states involved already. My answer is no! no! let keep it in the state. final!

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

Quote: Originally posted by Think on Feb 14, 2009

I was really pondering the bubble aspect of it from the inevitable drop in ticket sales when people realize how few and far between the jackpots are in their area.  Most people I know would not play any game after awhile if no jackpots are paid out anywhere near their area.

Heck the Mega Millions has been on for comming on 13 years and the closest win to here has been about 400 miles away.  Even the second prizes are few and far between.  There have been two awarded around here so that is 6 1/2 years between second prizes!  On top of that I have never heard of anyone around here getting $10,000 on Mega.  With the multi country game it would only get worse!  I am begining to believe a Mega Mill jackpot might come around here once every couple hundred years.  So it really wouldn't be worth trying to chase a multi country pot since that would be thousands of years before it hit anywhere near here.

The bubble would burst and down would come ticket sales, tax revenue and all.

It sounds like most of the people you know don't understand probability. The only way to have big payouts is to have odds that are overwhelmingly against you, and those odds are the only factor in your chances of winning. Where the winners have been located has absolutely nothing to do with your chances of winning. As for an "inevitable drop", even if everybody you know stops playing,  the bubble hasn't burst. Sales go up and down with various factors, but so far increased odds doesn't seem to be a significant limit to sales.

truecritic's avatartruecritic

"Most people I know would not play any game after awhile if no jackpots are paid out anywhere near their area.

Heck the Mega Millions has been on for comming on 13 years and the closest win to here has been about 400 miles away."

 

You could move about 400 miles south-east and start buying tickets again if you think that helps your chances.

LOL

Think's avatarThink

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Feb 15, 2009

I'll tell you this, Massachusetts has only won one jackpot since 2003 december, when I first moved here. I guess someone can say we've been winning jack.

Ohio and NY and Michigan to me are the jackpot states. And Georgia too.

If you beleive the population argument then the jackpots should keep going to  Places like
LA, SF, NY, and CHI but that just simply doesn't happen.

Comapre Georgia where the winners are from all over that state not just from Metro Atlanta to Michigan where the winners were all from the Metro Detroit area until Michigan decided to send a bunch to Party World in Commstock park.

Compare Georgia to Illinois.  Why is Illinois doing so poorly?  If I lived in Illinois I would want them to withdraw from mega millions.

Getting back to Michigan, why does Alpena have more than its share of Fantasy 5 winners?
Why does Coldwater win so much? Why does that area on Venoy rd in Westland have so many winners?  etc... etc.  Why have they stopped posting where the winning scratchers are sold on the MSL website news? 

As far as PB states why does the Fondulac "miracle mile"  in WI have so many big winners?
Why were all those PB jackpots in the metro Pittsburgh PA area 5 or so years ago?

As someone here  had in their signature file - whats happened before is most likely to happen again.

Think's avatarThink

Quote: Originally posted by KY Floyd on Feb 16, 2009

It sounds like most of the people you know don't understand probability. The only way to have big payouts is to have odds that are overwhelmingly against you, and those odds are the only factor in your chances of winning. Where the winners have been located has absolutely nothing to do with your chances of winning. As for an "inevitable drop", even if everybody you know stops playing,  the bubble hasn't burst. Sales go up and down with various factors, but so far increased odds doesn't seem to be a significant limit to sales.

There is probability and then there is reality with rigging and corruption and mistakes and whatnot.

Kidzmom's avatarKidzmom

I started a blog back a while ago "1 billion dollar Powerball"... and ppl on there did not seem to think the jackpot would ever grow that big.. Now if we merge with the British games that could now be a reality. I hope it don't happen though because the game would be even harder to win and there would be extremely too many people in it..sort of like that El-Gordo game. 

KM

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Since lottery jackpots are advertised at their projected 25-30 years annuity value rather than their cash value, some probably could be advertised as a $1,000,000,000 jackpot now if their values were based on a 100 year annuity.

wizeguy's avatarwizeguy

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Feb 17, 2009

Since lottery jackpots are advertised at their projected 25-30 years annuity value rather than their cash value, some probably could be advertised as a $1,000,000,000 jackpot now if their values were based on a 100 year annuity.

Ssh ;-)

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

I can't imagine people being exited over merging with a lottery outside of the US.

People get upset when the winner isn't in their State much less another country.  Bash

truecritic's avatartruecritic

Quote: Originally posted by dpoly1 on Feb 17, 2009

I can't imagine people being exited over merging with a lottery outside of the US.

People get upset when the winner isn't in their State much less another country.  Bash

Not particularly.

I just get upset when it isn't me - doesn't bother me if some winner is on the moon or anywhere else.

dvdiva's avatardvdiva

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Feb 17, 2009

Since lottery jackpots are advertised at their projected 25-30 years annuity value rather than their cash value, some probably could be advertised as a $1,000,000,000 jackpot now if their values were based on a 100 year annuity.

If they keep printing money that could be the cash prize not the annuity value.

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