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Are lawmakers selling the Texas Lottery short?News Story
Scratch-off lottery tickets are big business in Texas. They raise billions for state coffers and are so popular that as many as 95 new scratch-off games are introduced here each year, making up a sizable chunk of overall Texas Lottery sales, officials say. But lottery officials are worried they will have to cut back on the variety of scratch-offs offered and on the advertising that promotes the games now that Texas budget writers are considering cutting as much as $18 million from the agen
Apr 13, 2017, 8:39 am - Lottery News

Maryland man wins lottery twice at same convenience storeNews Story
A Silver Spring, Maryland, man won a state lottery game twice at the same convenience store a rare occurrence, lottery officials said. Jorge Matamoras, a 39-year-old who works in construction, won $5,000 in March on a scratch-off game called 20X The Cash. Then a few weeks later, he won again only more. The second time, he won $50,000 in the same game. Both times, officials said, he bought his winning tickets at the 29 Convenience Mart in Silver Spring. Matamoras described winning twi
Apr 12, 2017, 11:08 am - Lottery News

Duo facing felony charges in lottery theft schemeNews Story
Two Indiana women are facing multiple felony theft charges for their alleged roles in a lottery theft scheme at a convenience store. Melinda C. Lanning, 42, and Reagan S. Richardson, 19, both of Connersville, Indiana, were each charged in late March by special prosecutor Andrew Bryson of Union County with two counts of Level 6 felony theft, stemming from an investigation by both the Connersville Police Department and the State Lottery Commission of Indiana into the duo allegedly stealing thou
Apr 11, 2017, 10:12 am - Lottery News

Michigan nurse claims $4 million lottery prizeNews Story
A nurse from the Detroit area is looking forward to cutting back her hours after winning $4 million on a Michigan lottery instant game. The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous bought the winning ticket at the Sunoco gas station, located at 48990 Hayes Road in Macomb. I scratched the ticket in the store and I was floored, said the player. I screamed a few choice words that got the clerk's attention and she asked what I'd won. She didn't believe me until she looked at the ticket her
Apr 11, 2017, 8:09 am - Lottery News

Lottery winner gets 21 years for financing drug trafficking operationNews Story
Ronnie Music Jr., a Waycross, Georgia man who sank part of $3 million in lottery winnings into methamphetamine trafficking, will spend the next 21 years in prison on drug conspiracy and firearms charges. Last July, the 46-year-old Music admitted his involvement in multi-state drug trafficking, including a ring being run from a Georgia prison that he fronted with lottery winnings. He also pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. (See Lottery winner invested $3M i
Apr 4, 2017, 5:28 pm - Lottery News

Man having 'worst day' wins $2 million in Michigan LotteryNews Story
A Saginaw County man was not having a good day, but winning $2 million in a Michigan Lottery scratch-off game can change that around pretty fast. I was having the absolute worst day of my life, said the 49-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous. I was stressed from work and it seemed like everything that could go wrong was going wrong. I stopped to buy a soda and had a winning $10 ticket to turn in. I put another $10 with it and told the clerk to pick out a $20 ticket for me.
Mar 29, 2017, 8:21 am - Lottery News

Illinois Lottery's private manager faces 2nd lawsuit alleging fraudNews Story
A second lawsuit has been filed accusing the Illinois Lottery's private manager of defrauding players after an investigation found the lottery did not award many of the biggest prizes in its largest instant ticket games. The lawsuit was filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court by two people who describe themselves as longtime scratch-off players, and like the first one filed last month in downstate St. Clair County it seeks class-action status to cover all players who bought tickets for t
Mar 25, 2017, 3:34 pm - Lottery News

Woman who just won $2 million in Michigan Lottery wins again for $60KNews Story
A Michigan woman has scored her second significant lottery win in less than three months. The Jackson County resident, who chose to remain anonymous, won $60,000 playing VIP Black online Tuesday, March 21. In January, she won $2 million playing the Lottery's $2,000,000 Bonus instant game. She bought that winning ticket at the Marathon gas station, located at 8037 Spring Arbor Road in Spring Arbor. I've got to be the luckiest woman in Jackson County, said the player in a news release.
Mar 24, 2017, 11:09 am - Lottery News

WWII vet wins $300,000 lottery for 94th birthdayNews Story
A World War II veteran receiving the birthday present of a lifetime when he won $300,000 in the Michigan Lottery. Ervin Smolinski's daughter-in-law bought the winning ticket and gave it to the 94-year-old on his birthday. He said getting the ticket is part of an inside joke with his family. Every month, I buy some instant tickets and send them as gifts to family members who have birthdays that month, Smolinski reportedly said. It's turned into a bit of a tradition, and now everyone sends
Mar 23, 2017, 2:40 pm - Lottery News

Va. woman wins $1 million while showing friend how to play lotteryNews Story
By Todd Northrop A Virginia woman won $1 million Tuesday after attempting to show her friend how to play a scratch-off ticket lottery. Merry Thomas took her friend Julie to the Giant Food store on Town and Country Road in Fredericksburg where she showed her how to work the self-serve machine to scan for a winning ticket. Julie's ticket won $12. Merry's ticket won $1 million. I've been freaking out since then! Merry said. Right in front of my eyes, I saw this woman turn into a
Mar 22, 2017, 8:32 am - Lottery News