Archived Lottery News for February, 2005

Monday, February 28, 2005

• 2:00 pm – Mega Millions Jackpot Grows to $112 Million.  The jackpot in the multistate Mega Millions lottery has grown to $112 million dollars.
• 1:20 pm – Lottery proposal faces long odds in Nevada.  Motivated by a struggling education system, Nevada lawmakers are trying — for the 23rd time since 1975 — to establish a statewide lottery by amending the Nevada Constitution.
• 12:20 pm – Leader who pushed to start the ND lottery can no longer play.  The leader of a petition drive to legalize the lottery in North Dakota can no longer play the game.
• 11:40 am – NJ interim Gov. nominates new lottery director.  Michellene Davis, a lawyer and veteran state policy adviser, has been nominated to be the next executive director of the New Jersey Lottery.
• 11:00 am – New Georgia lottery scratch game popular with players.  More expensive tickets and bigger prizes are helping to drive sales of $100 Million Cash Spectacular, the Georgia Lottery's latest scratch game.
• 10:20 am – Self-service lottery machines to be installed in Penn. liquor stores.  Officials at two Pennsylvania state agencies are working on introducing player-activated lottery-ticket terminals in state liquor stores.
• 9:40 am – Florida Lotto winner sued — again.  After the winner of a $35 million Florida Lotto jackpot settled with his ex-wife, his ex-wife's sister stepped into the picture and wants a cut, too.

Sunday, February 27, 2005

• 12:05 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Saturday Powerball drawing, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $100,000 prize: 1 from South Carolina and 1 from Tennessee.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

• 2:34 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 12 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 2 from Illinois, 3 from Michigan, 1 from New Jersey, 3 from Ohio, 2 from Texas and 1 from Virginia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Friday, February 25, 2005

• 3:00 pm – Nebraska man claims $198,000 Pick 5 lottery jackpot.  After using a Tupperware cookie jar as a safe for two days, an Aurora man redeemed his jackpot-winning Nebraska Pick 5 ticket worth $198,000.
• 2:20 pm – Men who threw away $100,000 scratch ticket now seek prize.  Two men who say they bought a scratch-off lottery ticket and threw it away are seeking the $100,000 prize a woman claimed after she plucked it from a cafe's trash can.
• 1:40 pm – Idaho man, 22, wins Powerball lottery jackpot.  A 22-year-old restaurant manager is the winner of Wednesday's $18.7 million Powerball jackpot.
• 1:00 pm – Oklahoma lottery board sworn in.  Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry presided over the first meeting of the Oklahoma Education Lottery Commission on Wednesday, urging members to move quickly in hopes of getting the lottery up and running this fall.
• 12:20 pm – NH Senate approves $20 scratch ticket cost.  The New Hamprshire Senate joined Governor John Lynch on Thursday in endorsing a doubling of the top-priced scratch ticket cost.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

• 11:43 pm – Powerball Jackpot Winner!  There was one $18 million jackpot winner from Idaho in the Wednesday, February 23, 2005 Powerball drawing.  More details to follow after the winner comes forward to claim their prize.
• For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.
• 3:40 pm – Mega Millions lottery jackpot leaps to $96 million.  The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery grew to $96 million Wednesday.
• 2:40 pm – California's lottery retailer of the month is small family-owned store.  A relatively small Vallejo, California family business in a diminutive strip mall beat out more than 18,000 stores of all sizes to be named California's State Lottery Retailer of the Month for March.
• 2:00 pm – Oklahoma Lottery Commission Holds First Meeting Today.  Oklahoma's Education Lottery Commission holds its first meeting this afternoon at the state Capitol.
• 3:07 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 8 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 from Massachusetts, 1 from Michigan, 1 from New Jersey, 2 from New York, 2 from Texas and 1 from Virginia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

• 11:40 am – N.C. Gov. renews call for lottery.  North carolina Governor Mike Easley renewed his commitment to establishing a state lottery in his State of the State Address last night.
• 10:40 am – Michigan Lottery selling scratch games after top prize gone.  Michigan lottery players who don't read the small print or check the lottery's Web site wouldn't know that the $10 Golden Pack scratch tickets they bought aren't able to win the top prize.
• 9:00 am – Arizona couple won a lotta lottery grief.  It only took Bernie Nauss and his wife, Krista a few years to lose one-third of their $22.5 million fortune trying to grow hydroponic tomatoes.
• 8:40 am – Oklahoma lottery commission members selected.  Former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick was among those appointed by Gov. Brad Henry on Monday to serve on the new Oklahoma Education Lottery Commission.

Monday, February 21, 2005

• 1:20 pm – Tennessee bill would prohibit sales of lottery tickets on Sundays.  A Tennesse Democrat duo is sponsoring a bill that would forbid the sale of lottery tickets in the State of Tennessee on Sundays.
• 12:40 pm – Winning Florida Lotto ticket sold in Cape Coral.  A Cape Coral, Florida shopper bought the only winning ticket in Saturday's $14 million Florida Lotto jackpot, lottery officials announced Sunday.
• 11:40 am – Officials form lottery pool in attempt to clear town's debt.  Local officials in a small German town are banking on a lottery win to keep the local council from going bust.
• 10:40 am – Survey: Few lottery winners go wild.  Few big winners go on a major spending spree or subject their winnings to big investment risks, according to a survey by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. Of 260 people who won at least $1 million between 1991 and 2003.
• 9:40 am – Penn. officials study slots' effect on lottery revenues.  Pennsylvania state senators pressed state Revenue Secretary Greg Fajt last week on the whether the imminent arrival of slot machines will harm the Pennsylvania Lottery.
• 9:20 am – Group fearful of lottery in Alabama.  A Washington, D.C.-based public policy group called The Tax Foundation issued warnings about a new lottery campaign aimed at Alabamians.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

• 2:47 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Saturday Powerball drawing, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $100,000 prize: 1 from Idaho, 1 from Missouri, 1 from Nebraska, 1 from New Hampshire and 1 from Pennsylvania.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Saturday, February 19, 2005

• 1:59 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 9 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 from Maryland, 1 from Michigan, 2 from New Jersey, 1 from New York, 2 from Ohio, 1 from Texas and 1 from Washington.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

• 10:20 am – Oregon Lottery rate cut has fierce opposition and support.  Oregon Lottery Director Dale Penn, seeking to capture millions of additional dollars for schools and other state programs, on Tuesday proposed a nearly 50 percent rate cut for retailers offering the lottery's new electronic slot machines.
• 9:40 am – Texas to use Lottery to institute video slot machines.  Facing an uphill battle to amend the Texas Constitution to allow video slot machines, some Texas lawmakers are working on legislation to authorize the devices as an extension of the lottery.
• 8:40 am – Lottery ticket plucked from trash wins $100,000.  The Hoosier Lottery awarded the $100,000 prize after a winning ticket purchased in Shelbyville was tossed in the trash, then plucked out by a luckier person.
• 8:00 am – Georgia Lottery mistake gives players extra chance to win.  A mistake during a Georgia lottery Fantasy Five drawing is giving players an extra chance to cash in.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

• 11:49 pm – There was no jackpot winner in the Wednesday Powerball drawing, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $100,000 prize: 1 from Colorado and 1 from Kansas.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.
• 2:22 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 from Georgia, 1 from Illinois, 2 from New York and 1 from Ohio.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

• 1:20 pm – Delaware legislation eliminates computerized lottery drawings.  Two key Delaware lawmakers have finished drafting a bill, which if enacted, will eliminate computerized lottery drawings in Delaware, and force the state lottery to conduct live drawings on TV and over the Internet.
• 11:40 am – Georgia Lottery Scratch Games' Empty Promises.  Most players know the odds of getting rich from the Georgia Lottery are slim, but a recent investigation found you have no chance of winning the top cash prize when you play some scratch-off games.
• 10:20 am – Pennsylvania Lottery Scratch Games Investigated.  Pennsylvania lottery players who are plunking down big bucks for scratch games have no idea that, in some cases, they have no chance of winning the big prize because the big prize has already been won.
• 9:40 am – NY Lottery Suspends 2 Downstate Quick Draw Vendors.  The New York Lottery has suspended the Quick Draw licenses of two more vendors.
• 8:40 am – Single mother's 'clairvoyant' £9m lottery win.  A single mother has walked off with a £9 million lotto win after a clairvoyant said she would have a "big win".

Sunday, February 13, 2005

• 12:13 am – Powerball Jackpot Winner!  There was one $41 million jackpot winner from Louisiana in the Saturday, February 12, 2005 Powerball drawing.  More details to follow after the winner comes forward to claim their prize.
• Also, 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $100,000 prize: 1 from Washington, D.C., 2 from Missouri and 2 from Pennsylvania.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Saturday, February 12, 2005

• 2:16 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 from Georgia, 1 from Illinois, 1 from New Jersey, 1 from Ohio and 1 from Texas.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Friday, February 11, 2005

• 3:00 pm – Special lottery for Indiana National Guard troops won't advance.  An Indiana lawmaker expressed disappointment Thursday that her proposal for a special lottery to support the Indiana National Guard will not get a chance to advance in the state Senate.
• 2:00 pm – Delaware Lottery looking for $7.7 million winner.  Delaware Lottery officials are pulling out all the stops to figure out who bought a $7.7 million winning Delaware Lotto ticket for the January 27th drawing.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

• 3:20 pm – Mom, daughter share $1 million NY lottery prize.  A New York assembly-line worker, mother of three and grandmother of one, beat odds of more than 1 in 5 million to win a scratch-ticket prize of $1 million.
• 2:40 pm – Georgia Republican proposes online lottery bill.  A bill in the Georgia Legislature would start the nation's first online lottery.
• 2:20 pm – Long-awaited lottery number comes up.  A long-awaited lottery number, whose failure to be drawn in nearly two years was blamed for suicides and other family tragedies, finally made its appearance in Venice in Italy's highly popular lotto game.
• 1:40 pm – Support eroding for Maine Gov.'s lottery plan.  A Democratic state senator from Portland is breaking ranks with Gov. John Baldacci on the governor's plan to help balance the state budget by selling future lottery revenue.  But it remains to be seen if that defection is isolated or the first sign that support is crumbling within the governor's party.
• 12:40 pm – N.C. lottery has a fighting chance this year.  North Carolina Rep. Billy Owens, a perennial lottery supporter, says the 2005 session of the General Assembly appears to offer "the best chance ever," for the lottery to pass.
• 12:00 pm – Massachusetts unveils new multimedia ad campaign.  The Massachusetts Lottery kicks off its latest advertising campaign this week, featuring television and radio advertisements which create awareness of the many benefits Lottery sales bring to the 351 cities and towns of the Commonwealth.
• 11:40 am – $20 Million Lotto South Jackpot Is Sixth Highest Ever.  With no jackpot winner in Saturday's Lotto South drawing, the jackpot has grown to an estimated $20 million, which is the sixth highest amount since the game began in September 2001.
• 10:40 am – Mega Millions lottery to introduce changes when California joins game.  Buddy Roogow, president of Mega Millions and Maryland Lottery director, offered no specific details, but stated that Mega Millions will undergo changes when California is added to the game.
• 10:20 am – Californians react to Mega Millions decision.  Odds are, people who play the state's SuperLotto will also play Mega Millions, and those who don't will consider giving it a shot.
• 9:40 am – Mega Millions lottery jackpots will get bigger, quicker.  When California joins Mega Millions later this year, the nation's most-populated state will bring an influx of new players and money that promises to boost the lottery's prize pool for players in all Mega Millions states.

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

• 11:44 pm – There was no jackpot winner in the Wednesday Powerball drawing, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $100,000 prize: 1 from Minnesota and 1 from Rhode Island.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.
• 10:40 am – Mega Millions jackpot increases to $50 million.  The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery grew to $50 million Wednesday.
• 10:00 am – Oklahoma looks to start lottery in October.  Oklahoma State Finance Director Scott Meacham says he's confident a state lottery will be in operation on a limited basis this fall.
• 9:20 am – Wyoming lottery bill barely nixed.  On a split vote, the Wyoming House narrowly defeated legislation allowing residents to play the Powerball lottery.
• 8:40 am – Pennsylvania trio claims Powerball lottery jackpot.  Three Pittsburgh-area women who work at PNC Financial Services Group will split $14.7 million for sharing the winning ticket in the Jan. 22 Powerball drawing.
• 8:19 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 4 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 from Illinois, 1 from Massachusetts, 1 from New Jersey and 1 from Washington.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Tuesday, February 8, 2005

• 6:00 pm – CALIFORNIA JOINS MEGA MILLIONS.  The California Lottery Commission today approved the California Lottery joining the multi-state lottery game Mega Millions.
• 11:20 am – California to decide multi-state lottery question today.  California lottery commissioners are poised today to decide whether to join one of the long-odds, big-payday games for the first time in the 20-year history of California's lottery.

Monday, February 7, 2005

• 6:00 pm – Memphis woman wins $1 million.  An exhilarated Minnie Williams, 54, of Memphis, Tennessee, won $1 million Saturday evening at the culmination of the Tennessee Lottery's second "Millionaire Live!" drawing event.
• 4:40 pm – Thieves Attack, Steal Truck of Lottery Player.  A suspect accused of carjacking a man outside a southeast Houston convenience store was arrested and placed behind bars Monday morning, but his accomplice remains on the run, police told an area news station.
• 9:00 am – Crumpled lottery ticket left in drawer wins $5.6 million.  Joanne and David Austin from West Hull collected a check for £3 million (US$5.6 million) nearly a month after becoming one of five ticket holders to share a £15 million (US$28 million) UK Lotto Superdraw on January 8th.

Sunday, February 6, 2005

• 12:25 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Saturday Powerball drawing, but 3 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $100,000 prize: 1 from Arizona, 1 from Iowa and 1 from Indiana.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Saturday, February 5, 2005

• 2:03 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Friday Mega Millions drawing, but 6 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 1 from Michigan, 1 from New York, 1 from Ohio, 2 from Texas and 1 from Virginia.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Friday, February 4, 2005

• 11:40 am – Indiana legislator attacks computerized lottery drawings.  In a move hailed by opponents of computerized lottery drawings, Indiana State Representative Robert Alderman (R) introduced a bill last month that would force the Hoosier Lottery to revert back to traditional lottery ball machines.
• Dispute erupts over use of Tennessee lottery funds.  Tennessee State Sen. Steve Cohen Thursday attacked Gov. Phil Bredesen’s pre-kindergarten initiative, saying the use of lottery money to fund the program is "illegal" and "unconstitutional."
• 11:20 am – Arkansas legislator wants voters to decide on state lottery.  A west Arkansas legislator is proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize a state lottery to benefit public schools.
• 10:40 am – Wyoming closer to starting a lottery.  A bill that would bring a lottery to Wyoming made it past a second hurdle Thursday, prompting some to wonder how far it will go this year.
• 10:00 am – Mystery lottery winner claims $3.8 million jackpot.  Michigan law allows lottery winners to remain anonymous, and the man who cashed in a winning WinFall ticket this week took full advantage of it.

Thursday, February 3, 2005

• 12:04 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Wednesday Powerball drawing, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $100,000 prize: 1 from Iowa, 3 from Pennsylvania and 1 from South Carolina.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

Wednesday, February 2, 2005

• 3:20 pm – VA Lottery Director wants to be college president.  Virginia Lottery Director Penelope Ward Kyle assured Radford University faculty Tuesday that she wouldn't institute radical changes if she succeeded Douglas Covington as president.
• 2:40 pm – Mississippi Lottery Bill Killed.  A proposed Mississippi state lottery is among dozens of bills that died under the first major deadline of the 2005 legislative session.
• 2:00 pm – Georgia Lottery Unveils New Game.  The Georgia Lottery Corporation (GLC) yesterday announced the launch of $100 Million Cash Spectacular, a new instant game with 10 $1 million top prizes and the highest payout percentage in GLC history.
• 1:20 pm – $14 million Illinois lottery jackpot expires.  A $14 million Illinois Lottery jackpot went unclaimed Monday, making it the largest pot in the state's history where no one came forward to say, "I won the lotto!"
• 12:40 pm – California Lottery to consider multi-state game.  In the California Lottery commission meeting next week, lottery staffers will present a report to the commission about the potential for California to join a multi-state lottery game.
• 2:04 am – There was no jackpot winner in the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing, but 8 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $175,000 prize: 2 from Georgia, 1 from Illinois, 1 from Michigan, 1 from Ohio, 2 from Virginia and 1 from Washington.  For the complete rundown of winners by prize category, see the Ways to Win page.

« March, 2005January, 2005 »