A woman who said her $37 million jackpot win had ruined her life found dead in her home
Sophia Ankel
Sat, September 11, 2021, 4:10 AM
A woman who became one of Ireland's biggest ever lottery winners has been found dead in her home.
Officials said the death of Margaret Loughrey, 56, is not being treated as suspicious.
Loughrey, who won $37 million in 2013, previously said the money had destroyed her life.
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A woman who won £27 million ($37 million) in the EuroMillions lottery but said the money brought her "nothing but grief" has been found dead in her home, officials said.
Margaret Loughrey, 56, was discovered by police at her £125,000 ($172,000) home in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland on September 2.
"A post-mortem is due to take place but at this stage, the death is not being treated as suspicious," police said, according to The Irish Times.
The 56-year-old became Northern Ireland's biggest ever lottery winner in 2013. She scooped up the jackpot after buying her ticket at a local shop where she had been printing off job application forms.
At the time, she was jobless and living on benefits worth £58 ($80) per week.
But after she won the jackpot, Loughrey struggled with her mental health and four months later was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. She later won her appeal against being sectioned.
"Money has brought me nothing but grief. It has destroyed my life. I have had six years of this. I don't believe in religion, but if there is a hell, I have been in it. It has been that bad," she said in 2019, according to The Times
"No point having £27 million and being lonely. That can't make me happy, that can only make me happy that everybody else's happy and so far everybody is absolutely delighted," she added.
Loughrey is not married or had no children. She has been described as a quiet woman who made many donations to family, friends, neighbors, and local charities.
At least half of her win is thought to have gone to good causes, The Times reported.
"I knew her before she won the money, she was quiet, and after she won the money she was still quiet, and she made donations that people will never know about," her neighbor Paul Gallagher told The Irish Times.
"Margaret wasn't standing out front saying, 'look at me, look how great I am, giving out a cheque.' She just did it, very quietly and behind the scenes," he added.
In 2015, she was convicted of assaulting a taxi driver while under the influence of alcohol. She was ordered to do 150 hours of community service as a result.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/wo ... 00804.html
Lotteries
NY Daily News
Dump truck driver mistakenly gets two lottery tickets, wins twice
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News
Sun, December 5, 2021, 3:17 PM
A 49-year-old North Carolina dump truck driver fell into good luck last week after unintentionally purchasing two identical Lucky for Life lottery tickets that both hit the jackpot.
Scotty Thomas said he was lying in bed watching a basketball game in his Fayetteville, N.C., home and couldn’t recall if he’s already filled out his $2 online ticket on his cell phone, so he punched in his numbers. The next day he got an email saying he’d won. According to Thomas, his son noticed that the email showed two different amounts.
“I realized, ‘I think I filled it out twice,’” he said. “When I realized I won, I had to lay down on the floor because I really just couldn’t believe it.”
NC Education reports that Thomas was informed Monday at lottery headquarters that he had several options in collecting his winnings. If he chose to do so, he could take both prizes as annuities, which would pay him $50,000 per year for the rest of his life. He also has the option of taking one prize as a lump sum of $399,000 and cash in the other ticket for $25,000 annually. He decided to cash in both tickets for lump sums and walked away with $780,000 before taxes. After paying Uncle Sam, he’ll clear $551, 851.
While Thomas surely has no complaints, he did not win the Lucky for Life grand prize, which pays $1,000 a day for life.
Dump truck driver mistakenly gets two lottery tickets, wins twice
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News
Sun, December 5, 2021, 3:17 PM
A 49-year-old North Carolina dump truck driver fell into good luck last week after unintentionally purchasing two identical Lucky for Life lottery tickets that both hit the jackpot.
Scotty Thomas said he was lying in bed watching a basketball game in his Fayetteville, N.C., home and couldn’t recall if he’s already filled out his $2 online ticket on his cell phone, so he punched in his numbers. The next day he got an email saying he’d won. According to Thomas, his son noticed that the email showed two different amounts.
“I realized, ‘I think I filled it out twice,’” he said. “When I realized I won, I had to lay down on the floor because I really just couldn’t believe it.”
NC Education reports that Thomas was informed Monday at lottery headquarters that he had several options in collecting his winnings. If he chose to do so, he could take both prizes as annuities, which would pay him $50,000 per year for the rest of his life. He also has the option of taking one prize as a lump sum of $399,000 and cash in the other ticket for $25,000 annually. He decided to cash in both tickets for lump sums and walked away with $780,000 before taxes. After paying Uncle Sam, he’ll clear $551, 851.
While Thomas surely has no complaints, he did not win the Lucky for Life grand prize, which pays $1,000 a day for life.
CNN
$426 million lottery ticket sold in Woodland Hills, California
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Michelle Watson
Sat, January 29, 2022, 5:38 PM
A $426 million lottery ticket was sold in Woodland Hills, California, on Friday night, according to a tweet from the California Lottery.
“The home team won big on Friday night when a #MegaMillions ticket sold in Woodland Hills hit the advertised $421 MILLION jackpot which resulted in a total of $426 Million,” the state lottery said.
The winning ticket was sold at a Woodland Hills Chevron station, another tweet said.
The winning numbers were 3-16-25-44-55,and the Mega ball number was 13, according to a Saturday news release.
The unidentified winner can either choose to take a lump sum payout of about $293 million, or take the entire winnings amount of $426 million in 30 payments over the next 29 years, the California Lottery said.
California public schools will get about $40 million from ticket sales, the release said.
“It’s always exciting when we have a winning ticket with such a big jackpot in California,” said Alva V. Johnson, director of the California State Lottery. “Raising money for education is why the Lottery exists in the first place, and we take a lot of pride in that.”
This is the third jackpot ticket sold in California since the new year, the release said, though it is the first Mega Millions jackpot win since October.
CNN’s Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/426 ... 21619.html
$426 million lottery ticket sold in Woodland Hills, California
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Michelle Watson
Sat, January 29, 2022, 5:38 PM
A $426 million lottery ticket was sold in Woodland Hills, California, on Friday night, according to a tweet from the California Lottery.
“The home team won big on Friday night when a #MegaMillions ticket sold in Woodland Hills hit the advertised $421 MILLION jackpot which resulted in a total of $426 Million,” the state lottery said.
The winning ticket was sold at a Woodland Hills Chevron station, another tweet said.
The winning numbers were 3-16-25-44-55,and the Mega ball number was 13, according to a Saturday news release.
The unidentified winner can either choose to take a lump sum payout of about $293 million, or take the entire winnings amount of $426 million in 30 payments over the next 29 years, the California Lottery said.
California public schools will get about $40 million from ticket sales, the release said.
“It’s always exciting when we have a winning ticket with such a big jackpot in California,” said Alva V. Johnson, director of the California State Lottery. “Raising money for education is why the Lottery exists in the first place, and we take a lot of pride in that.”
This is the third jackpot ticket sold in California since the new year, the release said, though it is the first Mega Millions jackpot win since October.
CNN’s Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/426 ... 21619.html
Man bought 264 lottery tickets — and they were all winners, Virginia officials say
Mark Price
Fri, February 4, 2022, 1:26 PM
One very lucky guy just collected a six-figure lottery win in Virginia, after all 264 of his tickets came up winners in two separate drawings, Virginia Lottery officials say.
Yes, 264 tickets.
Jalen Taylor of Charlottesville won $132,000 when each ticket proved to be worth $500, Virginia Lottery officials said in a Feb. 3 news release.
The prize came after Taylor went big and bought two large batches of Pick 3 tickets over a two-month span. The first was 104 tickets with the numbers 960 he got for the Nov. 18 drawing, and the second was 160 tickets with the numbers 542 he purchased for the Jan. 10 drawing.
Tickets are $1 each.
Jalen Taylor of Charlottesville won $132,000, when each of his 264 lottery tickets proved to be worth $500, Virginia Lottery officials.
Jalen Taylor of Charlottesville won $132,000, when each of his 264 lottery tickets proved to be worth $500, Virginia Lottery officials.
Both of his 3-digit combinations were drawn, netting him $52,000 with the first batch and $80,000 with the second, officials said.
All the tickets came from grocery stores (Food Lion and Harris Teeter) and Taylor didn’t say how he decided on the numbers. (Players can pick any three-digit sequence from 000 to 999.)
“I had a feeling,” Taylor said in the release. “When you get a feeling, just play!”
Taylor said he intends to save the cash and invest.
He beat odds of 1 in 1,000 by picking the three winning numbers.
State officials didn’t give the odds of doing it twice in eight weeks.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ma ... 54873.html
Mark Price
Fri, February 4, 2022, 1:26 PM
One very lucky guy just collected a six-figure lottery win in Virginia, after all 264 of his tickets came up winners in two separate drawings, Virginia Lottery officials say.
Yes, 264 tickets.
Jalen Taylor of Charlottesville won $132,000 when each ticket proved to be worth $500, Virginia Lottery officials said in a Feb. 3 news release.
The prize came after Taylor went big and bought two large batches of Pick 3 tickets over a two-month span. The first was 104 tickets with the numbers 960 he got for the Nov. 18 drawing, and the second was 160 tickets with the numbers 542 he purchased for the Jan. 10 drawing.
Tickets are $1 each.
Jalen Taylor of Charlottesville won $132,000, when each of his 264 lottery tickets proved to be worth $500, Virginia Lottery officials.
Jalen Taylor of Charlottesville won $132,000, when each of his 264 lottery tickets proved to be worth $500, Virginia Lottery officials.
Both of his 3-digit combinations were drawn, netting him $52,000 with the first batch and $80,000 with the second, officials said.
All the tickets came from grocery stores (Food Lion and Harris Teeter) and Taylor didn’t say how he decided on the numbers. (Players can pick any three-digit sequence from 000 to 999.)
“I had a feeling,” Taylor said in the release. “When you get a feeling, just play!”
Taylor said he intends to save the cash and invest.
He beat odds of 1 in 1,000 by picking the three winning numbers.
State officials didn’t give the odds of doing it twice in eight weeks.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ma ... 54873.html
Re: Lotteries
USA TODAY
New York man wins $10M lottery for the second time in 3 years
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
Sun, February 27, 2022
A New York man defied lottery odds after winning $10 million from a scratch-off game, and it's the second time in three years he has won it.
Juan Hernandez of Uniondale in Nassau County won New York Lottery’s $10 million Deluxe scratch-off game this month, New York Lottery announced on Tuesday.
New York Lottery said this is Hernandez's second win after he won the same amount in 2019, winning the top prize in the $350 million Cash Spectacular scratch-off ticket. Hernandez said in the release he is "still trying to spend the $10,000,000," he won three years ago.
Hernandez truly defined the odds of winning the lottery twice. The odds of winning the $10 million Deluxe scratch-off game is 1 in 3.52 million.
FORTUNE COOKIE: A veteran used numbers from a fortune cookie to play the lottery. Now he's $4 million richer.
'I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS READING': Woman finds out she won $3 million lottery prize after checking her email spam folder
As rare and difficult it seems to win the lottery twice, it has happened before. In October 2021, a retired utility worker from Maryland won a $2 million lottery prize for the second time, while women in North Carolina and Missouri each previously won the lottery twice on the same day, just with different amounts of money.
Hernandez said he decided to take the lump sum of his recent winnings, resulting in him winning a total of $6.5 million "after required withholdings."
New York Lottery's website lists three grand prize winners of $10 million given out, and one ticket has yet to be cashed out.
https://news.yahoo.com/york-man-wins-10 ... 059730.htm
New York man wins $10M lottery for the second time in 3 years
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
Sun, February 27, 2022
A New York man defied lottery odds after winning $10 million from a scratch-off game, and it's the second time in three years he has won it.
Juan Hernandez of Uniondale in Nassau County won New York Lottery’s $10 million Deluxe scratch-off game this month, New York Lottery announced on Tuesday.
New York Lottery said this is Hernandez's second win after he won the same amount in 2019, winning the top prize in the $350 million Cash Spectacular scratch-off ticket. Hernandez said in the release he is "still trying to spend the $10,000,000," he won three years ago.
Hernandez truly defined the odds of winning the lottery twice. The odds of winning the $10 million Deluxe scratch-off game is 1 in 3.52 million.
FORTUNE COOKIE: A veteran used numbers from a fortune cookie to play the lottery. Now he's $4 million richer.
'I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS READING': Woman finds out she won $3 million lottery prize after checking her email spam folder
As rare and difficult it seems to win the lottery twice, it has happened before. In October 2021, a retired utility worker from Maryland won a $2 million lottery prize for the second time, while women in North Carolina and Missouri each previously won the lottery twice on the same day, just with different amounts of money.
Hernandez said he decided to take the lump sum of his recent winnings, resulting in him winning a total of $6.5 million "after required withholdings."
New York Lottery's website lists three grand prize winners of $10 million given out, and one ticket has yet to be cashed out.
https://news.yahoo.com/york-man-wins-10 ... 059730.htm
Re: Lotteries
The Enquirer
Mega Millions results July 26, 2022: Jackpot crosses $1 billion; Ohio ticket wins millions
Emily DeLetter, Cincinnati Enquirer
Wed, July 27, 2022 at 6:09 AM
For the first time this year, the Mega Millions jackpot has cracked the $1 billion mark after no grand prize tickets were sold for the Tuesday night drawing. The jackpot now sits at an estimated whopping $1.02 billion, or a cash option of $602.5 million.
It's still the third largest lottery Mega Millions has ever had, albeit likely not for long, with a $1.05 billion winning ticket in Michigan in 2021 in second and a $1.537 billion winning ticket in South Carolina in 2018 holding the top record, according to the lottery's records.
No one has won the Mega Millions since April 15, when a ticket in Tennessee won $20 million.
The most recent numbers from Tuesday's drawing were 7, 29, 60, 63 and 66. The Mega Ball was 15, and the Megaplier was 3X.
While the huge jackpot is still unclaimed, there were Match 5 $1 million winners in California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, two in New Jersey and two in New York. There was also a Match 5 + Megaplier $3 million winner in Ohio.
The next drawing is at 11 p.m. Friday, July 29.
Whether you've played before, or if this is your first time trying your luck with the Mega Millions, here's what you need to know ahead of the next drawing.
How to play the Mega Millions
The Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $530 million for the drawing on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. No one has won the Mega Millions since April 15, when a ticket in Tennessee won $20 million. If someone were to win the current jackpot at $530 million, it would be among the top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever, according to the lottery
The Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $530 million for the drawing on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. No one has won the Mega Millions since April 15, when a ticket in Tennessee won $20 million. If someone were to win the current jackpot at $530 million, it would be among the top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever, according to the lottery
More.
Pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25.
Choose Easy Pick or Quick Pick to have the terminal randomly pick numbers for you. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in the drawing.
What's the Megaplier?
Most states offer the Megaplier feature, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four and five times.
It costs an additional $1 per play. Before each regular Mega Millions drawing, the Megaplier is drawn. From a pool of 15 balls, five are marked with "2X," three with "4X" and one with "5X."
What was the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever?
In 2018, one winning ticket in South Carolina sold for a $1.537 billion grand prize, which was the world's largest lottery prize ever won on a single ticket.
In January 2021, a winning ticket sold in Michigan for $1.05 billion.
What happens if I win Mega Millions?
Mega Millions offers two options.
You can take annuity, in which you're paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Each payment is 5% bigger than the previous.
There's also the cash option, a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/me ... 02819.html
Mega Millions results July 26, 2022: Jackpot crosses $1 billion; Ohio ticket wins millions
Emily DeLetter, Cincinnati Enquirer
Wed, July 27, 2022 at 6:09 AM
For the first time this year, the Mega Millions jackpot has cracked the $1 billion mark after no grand prize tickets were sold for the Tuesday night drawing. The jackpot now sits at an estimated whopping $1.02 billion, or a cash option of $602.5 million.
It's still the third largest lottery Mega Millions has ever had, albeit likely not for long, with a $1.05 billion winning ticket in Michigan in 2021 in second and a $1.537 billion winning ticket in South Carolina in 2018 holding the top record, according to the lottery's records.
No one has won the Mega Millions since April 15, when a ticket in Tennessee won $20 million.
The most recent numbers from Tuesday's drawing were 7, 29, 60, 63 and 66. The Mega Ball was 15, and the Megaplier was 3X.
While the huge jackpot is still unclaimed, there were Match 5 $1 million winners in California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, two in New Jersey and two in New York. There was also a Match 5 + Megaplier $3 million winner in Ohio.
The next drawing is at 11 p.m. Friday, July 29.
Whether you've played before, or if this is your first time trying your luck with the Mega Millions, here's what you need to know ahead of the next drawing.
How to play the Mega Millions
The Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $530 million for the drawing on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. No one has won the Mega Millions since April 15, when a ticket in Tennessee won $20 million. If someone were to win the current jackpot at $530 million, it would be among the top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever, according to the lottery
The Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $530 million for the drawing on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. No one has won the Mega Millions since April 15, when a ticket in Tennessee won $20 million. If someone were to win the current jackpot at $530 million, it would be among the top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever, according to the lottery
More.
Pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25.
Choose Easy Pick or Quick Pick to have the terminal randomly pick numbers for you. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in the drawing.
What's the Megaplier?
Most states offer the Megaplier feature, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four and five times.
It costs an additional $1 per play. Before each regular Mega Millions drawing, the Megaplier is drawn. From a pool of 15 balls, five are marked with "2X," three with "4X" and one with "5X."
What was the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever?
In 2018, one winning ticket in South Carolina sold for a $1.537 billion grand prize, which was the world's largest lottery prize ever won on a single ticket.
In January 2021, a winning ticket sold in Michigan for $1.05 billion.
What happens if I win Mega Millions?
Mega Millions offers two options.
You can take annuity, in which you're paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Each payment is 5% bigger than the previous.
There's also the cash option, a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/me ... 02819.html
Re: Lotteries
The Enquirer
What happens if no one claims the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot? Here's a look
Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer
Thu, August 25, 2022 at 3:22 PM
It has been several weeks since a ticket in Illinois won the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot.
Currently, no one has come forward to claim the second-largest jackpot in the 20-year history of the game, topped only by the $1.537 billion ticket won in South Carolina in 2018.
Rules for claiming a prize, as well as the length of time one has to claim it, vary by state, according to the Mega Millions website. However, the period for claiming prizes typically ranges from 90 days to one year from the draw date.
Illinois Lottery states that winners may have up to a year to come forward. But winners of more than $250,000 may choose to remain anonymous, so we may never know the identity of the soon-to-be billionaire.
While the winner still has time to claim their prize, they have only 60 days from the draw date to choose between the cash or annuity options. Since the winning numbers were drawn on July 29, they now have 33 days left to decide.
Mega Millions: Where does the jackpot money come from? Here's a look.
What happens if no one claims the Mega Millions jackpot?
If a jackpot prize goes unclaimed within the required time limit, each participating state in the Mega Millions game will get back all the money it contributed. The states use their unclaimed lottery prizes for different purposes, but unclaimed prize money typically remains in a state's lottery fund. One-third of the fund is used to support public schools, The State Journal-Register reported.
What happens if the winning lottery ticket is lost?
Mega Millions is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. It is advised that winners sign the back of the tickets. Unless signed, anyone in possession of the ticket can file a claim. If the ticket is lost before it was signed and someone else finds it, they can collect the prize.
How many unclaimed jackpot prizes have there been?
To date, there have only been three unclaimed jackpot prizes. Here's a running list of the unclaimed jackpots in recorded Mega Millions history.
Aug. 1, 2006: A $31 million jackpot went unclaimed in Queens, New York.
April 25, 2003: A $46 million jackpot went unclaimed in Brooklyn, New York.
Dec. 24, 2002: A $68 million jackpot went unclaimed in New York. The city was not specified.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ha ... 07946.html
What happens if no one claims the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot? Here's a look
Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer
Thu, August 25, 2022 at 3:22 PM
It has been several weeks since a ticket in Illinois won the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot.
Currently, no one has come forward to claim the second-largest jackpot in the 20-year history of the game, topped only by the $1.537 billion ticket won in South Carolina in 2018.
Rules for claiming a prize, as well as the length of time one has to claim it, vary by state, according to the Mega Millions website. However, the period for claiming prizes typically ranges from 90 days to one year from the draw date.
Illinois Lottery states that winners may have up to a year to come forward. But winners of more than $250,000 may choose to remain anonymous, so we may never know the identity of the soon-to-be billionaire.
While the winner still has time to claim their prize, they have only 60 days from the draw date to choose between the cash or annuity options. Since the winning numbers were drawn on July 29, they now have 33 days left to decide.
Mega Millions: Where does the jackpot money come from? Here's a look.
What happens if no one claims the Mega Millions jackpot?
If a jackpot prize goes unclaimed within the required time limit, each participating state in the Mega Millions game will get back all the money it contributed. The states use their unclaimed lottery prizes for different purposes, but unclaimed prize money typically remains in a state's lottery fund. One-third of the fund is used to support public schools, The State Journal-Register reported.
What happens if the winning lottery ticket is lost?
Mega Millions is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. It is advised that winners sign the back of the tickets. Unless signed, anyone in possession of the ticket can file a claim. If the ticket is lost before it was signed and someone else finds it, they can collect the prize.
How many unclaimed jackpot prizes have there been?
To date, there have only been three unclaimed jackpot prizes. Here's a running list of the unclaimed jackpots in recorded Mega Millions history.
Aug. 1, 2006: A $31 million jackpot went unclaimed in Queens, New York.
April 25, 2003: A $46 million jackpot went unclaimed in Brooklyn, New York.
Dec. 24, 2002: A $68 million jackpot went unclaimed in New York. The city was not specified.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ha ... 07946.html
Re: Lotteries
BBC
Kerala lottery: India jackpot winner fed up with requests for help
Mon, September 26, 2022 at 3:09 AM
An Indian lottery winner has said he is so overwhelmed with requests for financial help that he regrets getting the jackpot.
Anoop, an auto driver from the southern state of Kerala, had won 250mn rupees ($3.06m, £2.9m) in a state government lottery earlier in September.
But a week later, he posted a video requesting strangers to stop bothering him and his family.
"I wish I hadn't won," he says. "The third prize may have been better."
Anoop says in the video that he is considering moving houses to escape the overwhelming public attention.
He had made national headlines when he won the prize, the highest ever offered in the state for a lottery.
He bought the ticket on 17 September - a day before he was supposed to fly to Malaysia for a job - after breaking open his son's piggybank.
After news broke of his win, his family received a lot of media attention.
"I was overjoyed when I won," he says in his recent video. "There were people and cameras at the house and we were happy."
But the situation soon got out of control, he says.
"I can't leave the house, I can't go anywhere. My child is ill and I can't take him to the doctor."
Anoop - who will receive 150mn rupees after government taxes - says people begin arriving at his house every morning.
"All I can tell everyone is that I haven't gotten any money yet. No-one seems to understand my problem, no matter how many times I say it," he says.
Anoop says he and his family have been staying with relatives to escape the attention.
The state government has said it will arrange a day's training program for Anoop on financial management to help him use the money well.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ke ... 07094.html
Kerala lottery: India jackpot winner fed up with requests for help
Mon, September 26, 2022 at 3:09 AM
An Indian lottery winner has said he is so overwhelmed with requests for financial help that he regrets getting the jackpot.
Anoop, an auto driver from the southern state of Kerala, had won 250mn rupees ($3.06m, £2.9m) in a state government lottery earlier in September.
But a week later, he posted a video requesting strangers to stop bothering him and his family.
"I wish I hadn't won," he says. "The third prize may have been better."
Anoop says in the video that he is considering moving houses to escape the overwhelming public attention.
He had made national headlines when he won the prize, the highest ever offered in the state for a lottery.
He bought the ticket on 17 September - a day before he was supposed to fly to Malaysia for a job - after breaking open his son's piggybank.
After news broke of his win, his family received a lot of media attention.
"I was overjoyed when I won," he says in his recent video. "There were people and cameras at the house and we were happy."
But the situation soon got out of control, he says.
"I can't leave the house, I can't go anywhere. My child is ill and I can't take him to the doctor."
Anoop - who will receive 150mn rupees after government taxes - says people begin arriving at his house every morning.
"All I can tell everyone is that I haven't gotten any money yet. No-one seems to understand my problem, no matter how many times I say it," he says.
Anoop says he and his family have been staying with relatives to escape the attention.
The state government has said it will arrange a day's training program for Anoop on financial management to help him use the money well.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ke ... 07094.html
Re: Lotteries
Fox News
Lottery winner burns through nearly $50 million before death
Peter Aitken
Thu, January 26, 2023 at 9:20 AM CST
The winner of one of the largest Euro MIllions jackpots burned through most of his winnings before his death in 2019, new documents revealed.
Colin Weir from North Ayrshire, Scotland, won a record-breaking £161 million (roughly $257.6 million) in 2011, which still ranks as one of the largest jackpots handed out by the European lottery competition. Weir died in 2019 at the age of 71 from sepsis and "acute kidney injury," but he had blown through most of his fortune by the time of his passing.
Weir’s initial £161 million winning, cut in half by his divorce to some £66 million (roughly $81 million) at the time, shrunk by a further £40 million (roughly $50 million) before his death, with the rest of his winnings going to his two children following a £1 million blowout for his family following his death.
One financial expert said Weir’s level of spending in eight years "takes a bit of doing," according to Edinburgh Live.
Weir ended up spending an average of £100,000 (roughly $131,900 during that time) per week on luxury items and investments.
Colin Weir and his wife Christine pose during a photocall in Falkirk, Scotland, after winning a record EuroMillions jackpot on July 15, 2011.
Weir and his wife Christine bought a £3.5million (roughly $5.75 million) mansion called Frognal House and spent thousands renovating the property.
The fortune took a big hit when the couple split in 2018, but Weir had made a number of investments across the last eight years of his life, most notably purchasing a 55% share in Glasgow soccer team Partick Thistle, investing in thoroughbred racehorses and establishing the Weir Charitable Trust, according to the Independent.
Scotland Ayrshire Euromillions Weir
Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland, the hometown of Colin and Christine Weir.
He ended up handing over his ownership of the soccer team to a supporter’s group, making it a majority fan-owned team. He had initially used his winnings to wipe out the team’s debt in 2015 and funded the team’s youth academy, according to the Daily Record.
Weir also donated to the Scottish National Party (SNP)’s failed 2014 Independence Referendum campaign, drawing praise from Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon upon his death. Sturgeon said that Weir’s "determination and generosity in the cause of Scottish independence cannot be overstated and was hugely appreciated."
Partick Thistle staff and supporters outside Firhill stadium, where the funeral cortege of Colin Weir passed before the service at Partick Burgh Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
His luxury purchases included a Jaguar F-Pace SUV, a vintage Bentley Arnage, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz V Class and a Mercedes-Benz E Class Estate.
Following his divorce, Weir resided in a £1.1 million (roughly $1.3 million) seafront home called "The Mansions," where he lived out the rest of his days.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/ ... 34116.html
Lottery winner burns through nearly $50 million before death
Peter Aitken
Thu, January 26, 2023 at 9:20 AM CST
The winner of one of the largest Euro MIllions jackpots burned through most of his winnings before his death in 2019, new documents revealed.
Colin Weir from North Ayrshire, Scotland, won a record-breaking £161 million (roughly $257.6 million) in 2011, which still ranks as one of the largest jackpots handed out by the European lottery competition. Weir died in 2019 at the age of 71 from sepsis and "acute kidney injury," but he had blown through most of his fortune by the time of his passing.
Weir’s initial £161 million winning, cut in half by his divorce to some £66 million (roughly $81 million) at the time, shrunk by a further £40 million (roughly $50 million) before his death, with the rest of his winnings going to his two children following a £1 million blowout for his family following his death.
One financial expert said Weir’s level of spending in eight years "takes a bit of doing," according to Edinburgh Live.
Weir ended up spending an average of £100,000 (roughly $131,900 during that time) per week on luxury items and investments.
Colin Weir and his wife Christine pose during a photocall in Falkirk, Scotland, after winning a record EuroMillions jackpot on July 15, 2011.
Weir and his wife Christine bought a £3.5million (roughly $5.75 million) mansion called Frognal House and spent thousands renovating the property.
The fortune took a big hit when the couple split in 2018, but Weir had made a number of investments across the last eight years of his life, most notably purchasing a 55% share in Glasgow soccer team Partick Thistle, investing in thoroughbred racehorses and establishing the Weir Charitable Trust, according to the Independent.
Scotland Ayrshire Euromillions Weir
Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland, the hometown of Colin and Christine Weir.
He ended up handing over his ownership of the soccer team to a supporter’s group, making it a majority fan-owned team. He had initially used his winnings to wipe out the team’s debt in 2015 and funded the team’s youth academy, according to the Daily Record.
Weir also donated to the Scottish National Party (SNP)’s failed 2014 Independence Referendum campaign, drawing praise from Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon upon his death. Sturgeon said that Weir’s "determination and generosity in the cause of Scottish independence cannot be overstated and was hugely appreciated."
Partick Thistle staff and supporters outside Firhill stadium, where the funeral cortege of Colin Weir passed before the service at Partick Burgh Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
His luxury purchases included a Jaguar F-Pace SUV, a vintage Bentley Arnage, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz V Class and a Mercedes-Benz E Class Estate.
Following his divorce, Weir resided in a £1.1 million (roughly $1.3 million) seafront home called "The Mansions," where he lived out the rest of his days.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/ ... 34116.html
Re: Lotteries
WFXT
DA: Clerk at Massachusetts liquor store tried to cash $3M lottery ticket left behind by customer
Frank O'Laughlin
Sat, May 13, 2023 at 9:21 AM CDT
A 23-year-old liquor store clerk was indicted Friday on charges that she schemed to steal a winning $3 million Mega Millions ticket and cash it in at Massachusetts Lottery Headquarters, prosecutors said.
Carly Nunes, of Lakeville, was indicted by a Plymouth grand jury on charges of larceny from a building, attempted larceny, presentation of a false claim, and witness intimidation, according to Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz.
Nunes’ indictment comes after a four-month investigation that involved a thorough review of records, video surveillance footage, and witness interviews, Cruz’s office said.
On Jan. 17, 2023, the victim in this case is said to have entered Savas Liquors at Bedford Street in Lakeville and purchased a bag of barbecue potato chips, two Massachusetts State Lottery Quick Picks for the Mega Millions lottery, and two for the Mass Cash lottery. The man added a multiplier to his Mega Millions ticket to increase the jackpot prize.
Nunes, the checkout counter clerk, input the order into the lottery terminal, and printed two lottery tickets. Nunes returned to the cash register and rang up the man’s order, totaling $12.
Prosecutors say the victim left the store with his bag of chips, but left all of his lottery tickets behind at the checkcounter. That same evening, the victim’s identical numbers were announced as winners in the Mega Millions drawing. The victim then briefly searched for his tickets to check his numbers but concluded that they were lost.
Two days later, a co-worker at Savas, 32-year-old Manchester, New Hampshire native Joseph Reddem, drove Nunes and her boyfriend to Massachusetts Lottery Headquarters in Dorchester to redeem the prize, according to prosecutors.
Reddem was also indicted on a charge of attempted extortion in connection with Nunes’ scheme.
When Nunes presented the winning ticket at Lottery headquarters, a customer service worker noticed that it was torn and burned, but proceeded to scan it and inform Nunes and her boyfriend that it was indeed worth $3 million. Prosecutors say the couple proceeded to “embrace” and “celebrate.”
Shortly after cashing the ticket, prosecutors say Nunes and Reddem were caught on surveillance video arguing in the lobby of Lottery Headquarters. An investigation revealed that Nunes allegedly told Reddem that she would “only pay him $200,000″ from the winnings.
The argument that was overheard coupled with the condition of the ticket that was turned, led Lottery officials to interview Nunes, according to prosecutors.
Nunes allegedly claimed that she purchased the ticket near the end of her shift on Jan. 17, that she mistakenly ripped the ticket when removing it from her purse, and that the burn marks were from placing it on a pipe.
Lottery officials ultimately told Nunes that they were going to contact Massachusetts State Police to launch an investigation and that she would receive her winnings when a conclusion was made.
A review of surveillance video from inside Savas revealed that the ticket wasn’t purchased by Nunes. When confronted with this evidence, she allegedly said that she had “inadvertently obtained the winning ticket.”
State police eventually tracked down the victim for an interview and lottery officials said they plan to honor the victim’s claim to the jackpot.
Nunes and Reddem will be arraigned at a later date.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/da ... 03223.html
DA: Clerk at Massachusetts liquor store tried to cash $3M lottery ticket left behind by customer
Frank O'Laughlin
Sat, May 13, 2023 at 9:21 AM CDT
A 23-year-old liquor store clerk was indicted Friday on charges that she schemed to steal a winning $3 million Mega Millions ticket and cash it in at Massachusetts Lottery Headquarters, prosecutors said.
Carly Nunes, of Lakeville, was indicted by a Plymouth grand jury on charges of larceny from a building, attempted larceny, presentation of a false claim, and witness intimidation, according to Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz.
Nunes’ indictment comes after a four-month investigation that involved a thorough review of records, video surveillance footage, and witness interviews, Cruz’s office said.
On Jan. 17, 2023, the victim in this case is said to have entered Savas Liquors at Bedford Street in Lakeville and purchased a bag of barbecue potato chips, two Massachusetts State Lottery Quick Picks for the Mega Millions lottery, and two for the Mass Cash lottery. The man added a multiplier to his Mega Millions ticket to increase the jackpot prize.
Nunes, the checkout counter clerk, input the order into the lottery terminal, and printed two lottery tickets. Nunes returned to the cash register and rang up the man’s order, totaling $12.
Prosecutors say the victim left the store with his bag of chips, but left all of his lottery tickets behind at the checkcounter. That same evening, the victim’s identical numbers were announced as winners in the Mega Millions drawing. The victim then briefly searched for his tickets to check his numbers but concluded that they were lost.
Two days later, a co-worker at Savas, 32-year-old Manchester, New Hampshire native Joseph Reddem, drove Nunes and her boyfriend to Massachusetts Lottery Headquarters in Dorchester to redeem the prize, according to prosecutors.
Reddem was also indicted on a charge of attempted extortion in connection with Nunes’ scheme.
When Nunes presented the winning ticket at Lottery headquarters, a customer service worker noticed that it was torn and burned, but proceeded to scan it and inform Nunes and her boyfriend that it was indeed worth $3 million. Prosecutors say the couple proceeded to “embrace” and “celebrate.”
Shortly after cashing the ticket, prosecutors say Nunes and Reddem were caught on surveillance video arguing in the lobby of Lottery Headquarters. An investigation revealed that Nunes allegedly told Reddem that she would “only pay him $200,000″ from the winnings.
The argument that was overheard coupled with the condition of the ticket that was turned, led Lottery officials to interview Nunes, according to prosecutors.
Nunes allegedly claimed that she purchased the ticket near the end of her shift on Jan. 17, that she mistakenly ripped the ticket when removing it from her purse, and that the burn marks were from placing it on a pipe.
Lottery officials ultimately told Nunes that they were going to contact Massachusetts State Police to launch an investigation and that she would receive her winnings when a conclusion was made.
A review of surveillance video from inside Savas revealed that the ticket wasn’t purchased by Nunes. When confronted with this evidence, she allegedly said that she had “inadvertently obtained the winning ticket.”
State police eventually tracked down the victim for an interview and lottery officials said they plan to honor the victim’s claim to the jackpot.
Nunes and Reddem will be arraigned at a later date.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/da ... 03223.html
Re: Lotteries
NBC News
Winner of historic $2B Powerball sued by man who claims ticket was stolen from him
Marlene Lenthang
Fri, May 26, 2023 at 4:04 PM CDT
The winner of California's $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot last year is being sued by a man who claims the ticket was stolen from him before the winning numbers were drawn.
Edwin Castro was identified as the winner of the record-setting prize in February. At the time, he said he was “shocked and ecstatic” and chose to accept the jackpot in a lump sum payment of $997.6 million.
The same month he was identified, a man named Jose Rivera filed a civil complaint in Alhambra Superior Court claiming the jackpot should be his.
The suit was filed against Castro, the California State Lottery Commission, the state of California and a man named Urachi F. Romero, whom Rivera accused of taking his ticket.
Rivera purchased the lottery ticket for the $2.04 billion Powerball on Nov. 7 at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, one day before the draw, according to the complaint.
Rivera alleges Romero stole the ticket that same day. The complaint did not detail how the alleged theft happen.
After the ticket was allegedly stolen, Rivera made “numerous requests and demands to return it” but Romero refused, according to the complaint.
On Nov. 8, the winning numbers were drawn and Rivera made renewed requests for Romero to return the ticket. Romero allegedly responded by saying “the ticket was a loser or if I find the ticket we can split the winnings 50/50,” the complaint said.
Rivera reported the alleged theft to California Lottery and law enforcement, according to court documents.
On Feb. 14, the California State Lottery Commission and the state of California announced Castro was the winner of the Powerball. Lottery officials said they followed a vetting process to assure the ticket and claim were legitimate.
Rivera presented a claim form to California Lottery in Santa Fe Springs three days later, claiming his ticket was stolen.
“Up until the announcement on February 14, 2023, Mr. Rivera had been threatened that his winning ticket would be destroyed if he did not agree to split the winnings,” a letter from Rivera's counsel said.
The complaint said Rivera requested that California Lottery preserve all footage depicting the winning ticket being purchased at Joe’s Service Center.
Rivera says he’s entitled to the jackpot, claiming he suffered emotional damages, trespass to chattel (meaning use of property without an owner’s permission) and intentional interference with prospective economic relations in the alleged ordeal.
California Lottery said it does not comment on pending litigation but expressed "utmost confidence" in the organization's vetting process for winners.
"California Lottery remains confident that Edwin Castro is the rightful winner of the $2.04 billion prize stemming from the Powerball drawing in November of 2022," said Carolyn Becker, state lottery deputy director and spokesperson.
A summons was served April 25 at a sprawling $25.5 million Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, home that was sold in March, according to online records.
But the person at the home allegedly told process servers they were “serving the wrong Edwin Castro,” according to a May 17 filing.
On Thursday, a motion to quash service of summons was filed by an attorney for Castro. It said that the summons was issued to Edwin H. Castro — the father of the actual Powerball winner.
A declaration attached to the motion by Castro said he has never personally been issued a summons. He acknowledged that the L.A. home his father was served at was his. He did not address the claims regarding the ticket in his filing.
A hearing is set for July 19 on that motion.
NBC News has reached out to attorneys for Rivera and Castro for comment. Romero, who did not file a response in the court docket, could not be reached Friday.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/wi ... 12803.html
Winner of historic $2B Powerball sued by man who claims ticket was stolen from him
Marlene Lenthang
Fri, May 26, 2023 at 4:04 PM CDT
The winner of California's $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot last year is being sued by a man who claims the ticket was stolen from him before the winning numbers were drawn.
Edwin Castro was identified as the winner of the record-setting prize in February. At the time, he said he was “shocked and ecstatic” and chose to accept the jackpot in a lump sum payment of $997.6 million.
The same month he was identified, a man named Jose Rivera filed a civil complaint in Alhambra Superior Court claiming the jackpot should be his.
The suit was filed against Castro, the California State Lottery Commission, the state of California and a man named Urachi F. Romero, whom Rivera accused of taking his ticket.
Rivera purchased the lottery ticket for the $2.04 billion Powerball on Nov. 7 at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, one day before the draw, according to the complaint.
Rivera alleges Romero stole the ticket that same day. The complaint did not detail how the alleged theft happen.
After the ticket was allegedly stolen, Rivera made “numerous requests and demands to return it” but Romero refused, according to the complaint.
On Nov. 8, the winning numbers were drawn and Rivera made renewed requests for Romero to return the ticket. Romero allegedly responded by saying “the ticket was a loser or if I find the ticket we can split the winnings 50/50,” the complaint said.
Rivera reported the alleged theft to California Lottery and law enforcement, according to court documents.
On Feb. 14, the California State Lottery Commission and the state of California announced Castro was the winner of the Powerball. Lottery officials said they followed a vetting process to assure the ticket and claim were legitimate.
Rivera presented a claim form to California Lottery in Santa Fe Springs three days later, claiming his ticket was stolen.
“Up until the announcement on February 14, 2023, Mr. Rivera had been threatened that his winning ticket would be destroyed if he did not agree to split the winnings,” a letter from Rivera's counsel said.
The complaint said Rivera requested that California Lottery preserve all footage depicting the winning ticket being purchased at Joe’s Service Center.
Rivera says he’s entitled to the jackpot, claiming he suffered emotional damages, trespass to chattel (meaning use of property without an owner’s permission) and intentional interference with prospective economic relations in the alleged ordeal.
California Lottery said it does not comment on pending litigation but expressed "utmost confidence" in the organization's vetting process for winners.
"California Lottery remains confident that Edwin Castro is the rightful winner of the $2.04 billion prize stemming from the Powerball drawing in November of 2022," said Carolyn Becker, state lottery deputy director and spokesperson.
A summons was served April 25 at a sprawling $25.5 million Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, home that was sold in March, according to online records.
But the person at the home allegedly told process servers they were “serving the wrong Edwin Castro,” according to a May 17 filing.
On Thursday, a motion to quash service of summons was filed by an attorney for Castro. It said that the summons was issued to Edwin H. Castro — the father of the actual Powerball winner.
A declaration attached to the motion by Castro said he has never personally been issued a summons. He acknowledged that the L.A. home his father was served at was his. He did not address the claims regarding the ticket in his filing.
A hearing is set for July 19 on that motion.
NBC News has reached out to attorneys for Rivera and Castro for comment. Romero, who did not file a response in the court docket, could not be reached Friday.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/wi ... 12803.html
Re: Lotteries
USA TODAY
Mega Millions jackpot winners can collect anonymously in certain states. Here's where.
James Powel, USA TODAY
Fri, August 4, 2023 at 4:16 PM CDT
If someone wins the jackpot in tonight’s Mega Millions, there is a possibility that person's identity will never be known.
Laws in 18 states allow lottery winners to collect prizes anonymously, meaning that we may never know who wins the over $1.35 billion dollar jackpot.
In 2022 the winners of an equally large jackpot in Illinois remained anonymous under state law, with the Illinois Lottery describing them as, “two individuals, who agreed to split the prize if won – and they stayed true to that word," in a press release.
Here are the places where winners can anonymously claim lottery prizes and the requirements for them.
Lotto regret: Pitfalls of Mega Millions, lottery winners serve as cautionary tales as jackpots swell
Where winners can claim Mega Millions jackpot anonymously
Arizona: prize must be over $100,000
Delaware: any prize
Georgia: prize must be over $250,000
Illinois: prize must be over $250,000
Kansas: any prize
Maryland: any prize
Michigan: prize must be over $10,000
Minnesota: prize must be over $10,000
Mississippi: any prize
Missouri: any prize
Montana: any prize
New Jersey: any prize
North Dakota: any prize
South Carolina: any prize
Texas: prize must be over $1 million
Virginia: prize must be greater than $10 million
West Virginia: prize must be over $1 million
Wyoming: any prize
Highest prizes:
$1.537 billion from one winning ticket in South Carolina in October 2018.
$1.350 billion estimated for Friday night if someone wins
$1.348 billion from one winning ticket in Maine in January 2023.
$1.337 billion from one winning ticket in Illinois in July 2022.
$1.25 billion in the current 2023 lottery.
$1.05 billion from one winning ticket in Michigan in January 2021.
$656 million from three winning tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland in March 2012.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/me ... 46861.html
Mega Millions jackpot winners can collect anonymously in certain states. Here's where.
James Powel, USA TODAY
Fri, August 4, 2023 at 4:16 PM CDT
If someone wins the jackpot in tonight’s Mega Millions, there is a possibility that person's identity will never be known.
Laws in 18 states allow lottery winners to collect prizes anonymously, meaning that we may never know who wins the over $1.35 billion dollar jackpot.
In 2022 the winners of an equally large jackpot in Illinois remained anonymous under state law, with the Illinois Lottery describing them as, “two individuals, who agreed to split the prize if won – and they stayed true to that word," in a press release.
Here are the places where winners can anonymously claim lottery prizes and the requirements for them.
Lotto regret: Pitfalls of Mega Millions, lottery winners serve as cautionary tales as jackpots swell
Where winners can claim Mega Millions jackpot anonymously
Arizona: prize must be over $100,000
Delaware: any prize
Georgia: prize must be over $250,000
Illinois: prize must be over $250,000
Kansas: any prize
Maryland: any prize
Michigan: prize must be over $10,000
Minnesota: prize must be over $10,000
Mississippi: any prize
Missouri: any prize
Montana: any prize
New Jersey: any prize
North Dakota: any prize
South Carolina: any prize
Texas: prize must be over $1 million
Virginia: prize must be greater than $10 million
West Virginia: prize must be over $1 million
Wyoming: any prize
Highest prizes:
$1.537 billion from one winning ticket in South Carolina in October 2018.
$1.350 billion estimated for Friday night if someone wins
$1.348 billion from one winning ticket in Maine in January 2023.
$1.337 billion from one winning ticket in Illinois in July 2022.
$1.25 billion in the current 2023 lottery.
$1.05 billion from one winning ticket in Michigan in January 2021.
$656 million from three winning tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland in March 2012.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/me ... 46861.html
Re: Lotteries
LA Times
Winner of the $1.765-billion Powerball — the second-largest jackpot ever — has been revealed
Summer Lin
Fri, March 15, 2024 at 9:28 PM CDT·
The winning ticket was sold at Midway Market in Frazier Park in October. (Alex Horvath / Los Angeles Times)
The identity of October's $1.765-billion Powerball winner has been revealed, according to the California Lottery.
Theodorus Struyck represents a group of people who bought the winning ticket at Midway Market in Frazier Park, according to a state lottery agency news release.
Struyck and companions bought the winning ticket after 36 Powerball draws went without a winner.
“Announcing big wins like this gives all of our players the chance to hope and dream that they could be next,” California Lottery Director Harjinder Chima said in a statement released by the agency. “But it also gives us an opportunity to shine the spotlight on our terrific mission, which is to generate additional, supplemental funding for public education in California."
Midway Market, the family-owned business that sold the winning ticket, received a $1-million bonus check.
The jackpot was the second-largest ever won in the U.S., coming behind the $2.04-billion Powerball jackpot in 2022.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/wi ... 46108.html
Winner of the $1.765-billion Powerball — the second-largest jackpot ever — has been revealed
Summer Lin
Fri, March 15, 2024 at 9:28 PM CDT·
The winning ticket was sold at Midway Market in Frazier Park in October. (Alex Horvath / Los Angeles Times)
The identity of October's $1.765-billion Powerball winner has been revealed, according to the California Lottery.
Theodorus Struyck represents a group of people who bought the winning ticket at Midway Market in Frazier Park, according to a state lottery agency news release.
Struyck and companions bought the winning ticket after 36 Powerball draws went without a winner.
“Announcing big wins like this gives all of our players the chance to hope and dream that they could be next,” California Lottery Director Harjinder Chima said in a statement released by the agency. “But it also gives us an opportunity to shine the spotlight on our terrific mission, which is to generate additional, supplemental funding for public education in California."
Midway Market, the family-owned business that sold the winning ticket, received a $1-million bonus check.
The jackpot was the second-largest ever won in the U.S., coming behind the $2.04-billion Powerball jackpot in 2022.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/wi ... 46108.html
Re: Lotteries
$1bn lotto winner accused in lawsuit of lying about promise to share funds with family
Josh Marcus
Mon, May 13, 2024 at 7:14 PM CDT·
The winner of a $1.35bn Mega Millions lottery jackpot has been accused in a lawsuit of lying about promising to share his winnings with his family.
The payout was one of the biggest in US history. Still, the identity of the winner, who bought the ticket in Lebanon, Maine, remains anonymous, as they used an LLC to collect their lump sum payment of roughly $500m after taxes.
Though the identity of the winner remains anonymous, the story of the lucky ticket has only gotten more complicated with time.
Since November, the lottery winner has been locked in a lawsuit against his daughter’s mother, alleging the woman, only identified in court documents as the pseudonym Sara Smith, violated a non-disclosure agreement by revealing the nature of the man’s winnings to the rest of family before the year 2032, at which point their daughter would be 18.
However, a new round of court documents obtained by The Daily Beast further complicates the picture.
In a series of competing disclosures filed on 10 May, the various parties in the suit all allege misconduct on the part of the other.
Ms Smith, for her part, alleges that the lottery winner, identified as John Doe in court documents, was in fact the one who revealed his historic lottery win, a disclosure the woman’s lawyers argue “shatters the remaining shards of this suit.”
Mr Doe’s father, meanwhile, claims the lottery winner revealed himself and suggested various ways he would share his money.
“February or March of 2023, my son came to my house in [REDACTED], and informed me and my wife that he won a large amount of money in the Maine State Lottery,” the father writes in the latest round of court documents. “I understand that my son has stated that he told me nothing about his money ‘other than the simple fact that I had won.’ That is not true.”
The father insists he never asked for any money.
Nevertheless, he claims his son began making promises for how he would share it anyway, including that he would build his father a garage with old cars to fix up, buy the house where his father had raised him, set up a $1m trust fund for his father, and fund medical expenses for his father and stepmother if need be.
The father also claims that his son insisted he no longer have communications with Ms Smith, leading to a rift between the two men.
“I told him… ‘You are not the son I knew,’” his filing adds. “He got angry, calling me a ‘dictator’ and an ‘a***hole.’ I have not heard from my son since, and he has not done any of [the] things he promised.”
For his part, Mr Doe claims that Ms Smith is attempting to publicly expose his identity, and allegedly falsely accused him of trying to “kidnap” their daughter, after he refused to pay for Ms Smith and her boyfriend to go on a vacation.
“I made the mistake of telling my father that I had won the lottery without having him sign a confidentiality agreement,” Mr Doe says in the court documents. “Our relationship deteriorated quickly thereafter. I did not tell him what I was doing with my money, how I was going to benefit my daughter, or any facts other than the simple fact that I had won.”
Ms Smith, in the court documents, alleges Mr Doe has a security team which allegedly follows her and her daughter on a daily basis.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/finance ... 34278.html
Josh Marcus
Mon, May 13, 2024 at 7:14 PM CDT·
The winner of a $1.35bn Mega Millions lottery jackpot has been accused in a lawsuit of lying about promising to share his winnings with his family.
The payout was one of the biggest in US history. Still, the identity of the winner, who bought the ticket in Lebanon, Maine, remains anonymous, as they used an LLC to collect their lump sum payment of roughly $500m after taxes.
Though the identity of the winner remains anonymous, the story of the lucky ticket has only gotten more complicated with time.
Since November, the lottery winner has been locked in a lawsuit against his daughter’s mother, alleging the woman, only identified in court documents as the pseudonym Sara Smith, violated a non-disclosure agreement by revealing the nature of the man’s winnings to the rest of family before the year 2032, at which point their daughter would be 18.
However, a new round of court documents obtained by The Daily Beast further complicates the picture.
In a series of competing disclosures filed on 10 May, the various parties in the suit all allege misconduct on the part of the other.
Ms Smith, for her part, alleges that the lottery winner, identified as John Doe in court documents, was in fact the one who revealed his historic lottery win, a disclosure the woman’s lawyers argue “shatters the remaining shards of this suit.”
Mr Doe’s father, meanwhile, claims the lottery winner revealed himself and suggested various ways he would share his money.
“February or March of 2023, my son came to my house in [REDACTED], and informed me and my wife that he won a large amount of money in the Maine State Lottery,” the father writes in the latest round of court documents. “I understand that my son has stated that he told me nothing about his money ‘other than the simple fact that I had won.’ That is not true.”
The father insists he never asked for any money.
Nevertheless, he claims his son began making promises for how he would share it anyway, including that he would build his father a garage with old cars to fix up, buy the house where his father had raised him, set up a $1m trust fund for his father, and fund medical expenses for his father and stepmother if need be.
The father also claims that his son insisted he no longer have communications with Ms Smith, leading to a rift between the two men.
“I told him… ‘You are not the son I knew,’” his filing adds. “He got angry, calling me a ‘dictator’ and an ‘a***hole.’ I have not heard from my son since, and he has not done any of [the] things he promised.”
For his part, Mr Doe claims that Ms Smith is attempting to publicly expose his identity, and allegedly falsely accused him of trying to “kidnap” their daughter, after he refused to pay for Ms Smith and her boyfriend to go on a vacation.
“I made the mistake of telling my father that I had won the lottery without having him sign a confidentiality agreement,” Mr Doe says in the court documents. “Our relationship deteriorated quickly thereafter. I did not tell him what I was doing with my money, how I was going to benefit my daughter, or any facts other than the simple fact that I had won.”
Ms Smith, in the court documents, alleges Mr Doe has a security team which allegedly follows her and her daughter on a daily basis.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/finance ... 34278.html
Re: Lotteries
USA TODAY
A $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot remains unclaimed. It's not the first time.
Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY
Fri, October 4, 2024 at 4:13 AM CDT·
Six months after a New Jersey player won the $1.128 billion Mega Millions jackpot, no one has claimed the prize.
Although the billion-dollar jackpot winner still has time, it wouldn't be the first time that winning Mega Millions tickets have gone unclaimed.
The lucky New Jersey ticket was bought on March 26 at a ShopRite Liquor in Neptune Township on the coast. The winning white ball numbers were 7, 11, 22, 29 and 38, while the gold Mega Ball was 4, the lottery said. After taxes, the ticket is worth $536.6 million.
Jackpot winners in New Jersey have up to one year to claim their Mega Millions prize.
Here's a look at the Mega Millions and its previous unclaimed jackpot winners, and what happens to unclaimed money.
"For multi-state games like Mega Millions, if the jackpot is unclaimed, the funds would go back to all the participating lotteries based on their share of sales," Dan Miller, a spokesperson for the Mega Millions, told USA TODAY. "Every lottery has its own rules for distributing its unclaimed prizes."
The billion-dollar jackpot was won in New Jersey, but the state does not get to keep all of the money.
"If the prize goes unclaimed, New Jersey does not keep all $1.1 billion," he said. "Most states either revert to a lottery's beneficiary, or beneficiaries, or go back to players through extra prizes and promotions, or some combination of the two."
Has there been an unclaimed jackpot before?
While this is not the first time a jackpot winner has not claimed or delayed claiming their winnings, that hasn't happened before with a billion-dollar jackpot, Miller said.
Winners in New York, Florida and other states have missed their chance at becoming millionaires.
Miller cited the following examples in New York: a $68 million jackpot in 2002, a $46 million one in 2003 and a $31 million one in 2006. In Florida last year, a $39 million jackpot went unclaimed, he said.
Players might not claim jackpot prize right away for several reasons
Miller explains that some people might wait longer to claim prizes for strategic reasons.
“Sometimes they're talking with the financial advisor. Sometimes they're trying to develop a plan for what they want to do with the money when they claim it,” Miller said. “Our hope was always that the people who win do come forward and claim their prize, because we obviously want the people who play to win.”
The Mega Millions, which first began as the “Big Game” on Aug. 31, 1996, made history on March 30, 2012, as the world’s largest prize in any jackpot game, with an estimated jackpot of $656 million. Since then, the record has been broken time and again. As the jackpot continues to reach new highs, the lottery wants to remind players to check their tickets.
Why is the Mega Millions cash option lower than the estimated jackpot?
Miller explained the difference between the estimated jackpot and the cash option.
“Say there's an estimated jackpot that's advertised as $100 million and the cash option is $50 million. A jackpot that's advertised as $100 million is paid out to someone over a period of time,” Miller said. “It's paid out over a number of years.”
When a player chooses the cash option, however, they’ll get their money quicker.
“They're telling you that if you choose to be paid out all, all right now, you can take $50 million in cash today, but that's all you're going to get," he said.
New Jersey players can remain anonymous
New Jersey is among the states where lottery winners can remain anonymous because of a law enacted in 2020.
But the lottery said that the identity of prize winners is shared with other state agencies because "claims are reviewed for collection of unpaid obligations such as child support, student loan arrearages, and back taxes.”
What are the top Mega Millions jackpots?
According to the lottery, the following jackpots are the top 10 jackpots that have been won as of Oct. 4:
$1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023; a Florida player
$1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018; a South Carolina player
$1.348 billion, Jan.13, 2023; a Maine player
$1.337 billion, July 29, 2022; an Illinois player
$1.128 billion, March 26, 2024; a New Jersey payer
$1.050 billion, Jan. 22, 2021; a Michigan player
$810 million, Sept. 10, 2024; a Texas player
$656 million, March 30, 2012; a player from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
$648 million, Dec. 17,2013; a player from California and Georgia
$552 million, June 4, 2024; an Illinois
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/ ... 00402.html
A $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot remains unclaimed. It's not the first time.
Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY
Fri, October 4, 2024 at 4:13 AM CDT·
Six months after a New Jersey player won the $1.128 billion Mega Millions jackpot, no one has claimed the prize.
Although the billion-dollar jackpot winner still has time, it wouldn't be the first time that winning Mega Millions tickets have gone unclaimed.
The lucky New Jersey ticket was bought on March 26 at a ShopRite Liquor in Neptune Township on the coast. The winning white ball numbers were 7, 11, 22, 29 and 38, while the gold Mega Ball was 4, the lottery said. After taxes, the ticket is worth $536.6 million.
Jackpot winners in New Jersey have up to one year to claim their Mega Millions prize.
Here's a look at the Mega Millions and its previous unclaimed jackpot winners, and what happens to unclaimed money.
"For multi-state games like Mega Millions, if the jackpot is unclaimed, the funds would go back to all the participating lotteries based on their share of sales," Dan Miller, a spokesperson for the Mega Millions, told USA TODAY. "Every lottery has its own rules for distributing its unclaimed prizes."
The billion-dollar jackpot was won in New Jersey, but the state does not get to keep all of the money.
"If the prize goes unclaimed, New Jersey does not keep all $1.1 billion," he said. "Most states either revert to a lottery's beneficiary, or beneficiaries, or go back to players through extra prizes and promotions, or some combination of the two."
Has there been an unclaimed jackpot before?
While this is not the first time a jackpot winner has not claimed or delayed claiming their winnings, that hasn't happened before with a billion-dollar jackpot, Miller said.
Winners in New York, Florida and other states have missed their chance at becoming millionaires.
Miller cited the following examples in New York: a $68 million jackpot in 2002, a $46 million one in 2003 and a $31 million one in 2006. In Florida last year, a $39 million jackpot went unclaimed, he said.
Players might not claim jackpot prize right away for several reasons
Miller explains that some people might wait longer to claim prizes for strategic reasons.
“Sometimes they're talking with the financial advisor. Sometimes they're trying to develop a plan for what they want to do with the money when they claim it,” Miller said. “Our hope was always that the people who win do come forward and claim their prize, because we obviously want the people who play to win.”
The Mega Millions, which first began as the “Big Game” on Aug. 31, 1996, made history on March 30, 2012, as the world’s largest prize in any jackpot game, with an estimated jackpot of $656 million. Since then, the record has been broken time and again. As the jackpot continues to reach new highs, the lottery wants to remind players to check their tickets.
Why is the Mega Millions cash option lower than the estimated jackpot?
Miller explained the difference between the estimated jackpot and the cash option.
“Say there's an estimated jackpot that's advertised as $100 million and the cash option is $50 million. A jackpot that's advertised as $100 million is paid out to someone over a period of time,” Miller said. “It's paid out over a number of years.”
When a player chooses the cash option, however, they’ll get their money quicker.
“They're telling you that if you choose to be paid out all, all right now, you can take $50 million in cash today, but that's all you're going to get," he said.
New Jersey players can remain anonymous
New Jersey is among the states where lottery winners can remain anonymous because of a law enacted in 2020.
But the lottery said that the identity of prize winners is shared with other state agencies because "claims are reviewed for collection of unpaid obligations such as child support, student loan arrearages, and back taxes.”
What are the top Mega Millions jackpots?
According to the lottery, the following jackpots are the top 10 jackpots that have been won as of Oct. 4:
$1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023; a Florida player
$1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018; a South Carolina player
$1.348 billion, Jan.13, 2023; a Maine player
$1.337 billion, July 29, 2022; an Illinois player
$1.128 billion, March 26, 2024; a New Jersey payer
$1.050 billion, Jan. 22, 2021; a Michigan player
$810 million, Sept. 10, 2024; a Texas player
$656 million, March 30, 2012; a player from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
$648 million, Dec. 17,2013; a player from California and Georgia
$552 million, June 4, 2024; an Illinois
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/ ... 00402.html