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How To Count Cards In Blackjack and Win at Blackjack

In this video, we will teach you how to count cards in Blackjack, and how to win at Blackjack! Here are some Blackjack tips and Blackjack 1...

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Best Lottery Prediction Techniques, How To Pick Winning Numbers.

winning lottery numbers predictions

The following information can definitely be used to make sure that you increase your chances of actually picking a winning combination of numbers.
However, they are nowhere near as effective as if you are using a very complex mathematical formula or a good lotto generating software.
You should most definitely stay away from sequential numbers such as 12, 13, 14, 15, or 35, 36, 37, 38. The chances of any consecutive numbers being drawn is extremely rare so therefore should be totally avoided.
I’m not talking about pairs thou, because pairs are fairly comming in any lottey games. So picking 12 and 13 or 25 and 26 in a same ticket is probably a good choice.
Never, ever, choose only numbers that are included in the “frequent union set”. The frequent number set includes the 6 least frequently drawn numbers and the 6 most frequently drawn lotto numbers.
You most definitely need to choose at the very least 1 one number that is not included in the frequent union set, but you’re better of picking at least 2 of those numbers.
Do not select multiples of a number, especially the number 5. The chances of numbers, such as 5, 10, 15, 22, 25, 30 and so on being drawn together is an extremely rare occurrence due to the fact that the rows found in play slips are in multiples of 5. So the chance of these numbers being drawn together is almost nil.
Do not under any circumstances, ever choose two numbers that are equal to or less than the number 12. This includes numbers such as 6 and 4 or 10 and 2. It is an extreme rarity for two numbers that are as small as this to hit during the same lottery draw again meaning that your chances of winning are very, very low.
Some individuals who have spent a lot of time studying the lottery, state that you should just simply choose the same numbers week in and week out. The theory behind this method is that our numbers will eventually be chosen together. However, there is really no solid information or research available as to how effective this particular method is.
If you really enjoy playing the lottery, you are definitely not alone. Millions of other people worldwide love to play the lottery and many people have their own “methods” of choosing their numbers.
Why not make playing the lottery even more enjoyable by predicting and picking the lottery numbers that have the most chance to be chosen? By using the information that has been discussed above you can instantly improve your chances of winning.
If you are extremely serious about winning an awesome amount of money by playing the lottery then you definitely need to check out the Lotto Destroyer software that is on our website. This way you can see for yourself that it is an absolute life changer.
Let’s face it, all of us dream about winning the big one and every week, everywhere around the world people check their numbers in the hope that their life will be changed. Most though are sorely disappointed.
The Lotto Destroyer software gives you the opportunity to win big and change your life. Just think of the all things that you could do with the extra money that you have won. Have a look at the software and see for yourself what it’s all about.

One more thing I will add…

Because lotteries have such low odds of winning, such as 1 in 258,890,850 for the MegaMillions in Europe. It is hard to collect some ground breaking statistics that will help you pick your winning numbers and win the lottery. That’s also why there’s a debate going on in the lottery world whether it’s better to stick with the same numbers at all time or pickrandom numbers every single game.
It’s a tough choice but it’s totally up to you and your strategy, but which ever way you play, stick with it.
Here’s a quote from the Telegraph.co.uk
If you had selected the ticket 03 06 13 23 27 49 in every draw since the National Lottery started you would have won £2,017,671 according to analyst Richard Lloyd.
This means that during the 23 years of The National Lottery you could have won over 2 million pounds.
23 years is roughly equal to 1200 weeks. Let’s says there’s always been 2 draws every week from the start.
1200 weeks, times 2 draws every week, equals to £2400 spent on tickets during those 23 years. But of course, there’s the price changes, extra tickets bought, missed drawings etc.
But still, even if you’d spent £23,000 on tickets, £1,000 every year. You’d still be making almost £2 million profit, just for sticking with your numbers.
That’s why this is what I do. I always buy 12 tickets. 6 of them are always the same and I never change them. The other 6 are just random numbers. So far It’s been working great for me.

To sum it up:

  • Analyse your numbers.
  • Do not pick 3 or more consecutive numbers, for example 15,16,17,18.
  • Pick pairs instead, for example 15,16.
  • Do not select multiples of a number, for example 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.
  • Do not pick two or more numbers below 10.
  • Do not pick frequent numbers only, choose a few that have a lower probabilty of getting picked.
  • Use an andvanced lottery software
  • Either sitck with the same numbers all the time or pick different numbers every single draw.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

$403 MILLION: Red hot Powerball jackpot rolls again

12th-largest cash value in US history
By Todd Northrop
This week Powerball is the hot ticket, featuring a lump-sum cash payout of nearly a quarter billion dollars.
The new high-water mark of $403 million for the current Powerball annuity jackpot estimate was achieved after no winning tickets were sold for Saturday night's $361 million grand prize.
The lump-sum cash payout value of Wednesday's Powerball jackpot is $243.9 million — the 12th-largest ever recorded in United States lottery history.  (See top 25 annuity and cash values below.)
Players looking to calculate what they would receive after the initial federal and state tax withholdings can find it all pre-calculated for each Powerball jurisdiction on the Jackpot Analysis page at USA Mega, a web site devoted to the Powerball and Mega Millions multi-state lottery games.
The largest Powerball jackpot ever awarded was on January 13, 2016, when three tickets from California, Florida, and Tennessee shared a $1.6 billion grand prize.  The Florida and Tennessee winners claimed their prizes quickly, but the California winner waited about six months to claim their share.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.  For example, the original estimate for Saturday's drawing was $349 million, but by the time all the proceeds were counted just before draw-time, the jackpot had swelled to $361 million.
Wednesday's mammoth prize is the result of 18 consecutive draws without a winner.  The run-up started as a $40 million prize on Dec. 21, 2016.
The winning numbers for Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017 were 3, 7, 9, 31, and 33, with Powerball number 20.  The Power Play number was 3.
Even though nobody won the jackpot Saturday, 9 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from Louisiana, 1 from Maryland, 1 from New Jersey, 1 from New York, 2 from Pennsylvania, 1 from Rhode Island, and 2 from Texas.
Three of the second-prize winners purchased the Power Play option — one of the tickets sold in Pennsylvania, the ticket sold in Rhode Island, and one of the tickets sold in Texas.  Those three lucky ticket-holders will have their prize automatically doubled to $2 million.
Power Play is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered in Power Play is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts. By law, California awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.
The California prize pool for second prize was $402,218 this drawing, which would have been split by any players matching all five numbers in that state. Now that prize money will be rolled into the prize pool for the California second prize next drawing.
58 tickets matched four white numbers plus the Powerball and won $50,000.  Of those tickets, 3 were purchased with the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $150,000, and 7 of the tickets were sold in California, where the prize was worth $14,709 this drawing.
Following the Saturday drawing, the Powerball annuity jackpot estimate was raised $42 million from its previous amount of $361 million. The cash value was raised by $23.5 million from its previous amount of $220.4 million.
The next Powerball drawing will take place Wednesday night at 10:59 pm Eastern Time.
When a Powerball ticket is purchased with the Power Play option for an extra $1 per ticket, second-prize winners have their prizes automatically doubled to $2 million, while all other non-jackpot prizes are multiplied by the Power Play number drawn that evening. All prize payout amounts, including Power Play multipied prizes, can be found on the Powerball Drawing Detail page at USA Mega, as well as on the Powerball Prize Payouts page at Lottery Post.
Powerball is now played in 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time.  Tickets cost $2 each.
Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com).  The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Wednesday's Powerball jackpot currently stands as the 14th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States.  That position may rise before the drawing, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.
  1. Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 - California, Florida, Tennessee
  2. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  3. Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
  4. Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
  5. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
  6. Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 7, 2015 - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  7. Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 - Indiana
  8. Powerball: $487 million, Jul. 30, 2016 - New Hampshire
  9. Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
  10. Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 - New Jersey
  11. Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 - California
  12. Powerball: $420.9 million, Nov. 26, 2016 - Tennessee
  13. Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
  14. Powerball: $403 million, Feb. 22, 2017 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  15. Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
  16. Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
  17. Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
  18. Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
  19. The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
  20. Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
  21. Powerball: $338.3 million, Mar. 23, 2013 - New Jersey
  22. Powerball: $337 million, Aug. 15, 2012 - Michigan
  23. Powerball: $336.4 million, Feb. 11, 2012 - Rhode Island
  24. Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
  25. The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
The number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
  • Powerball: 16
  • Mega Millions: 7
  • The Big Game: 2
The Big Game is the original name of Mega Millions, from the game's first drawing on Sep. 6, 1996 through May 14, 2002.  The name was changed to Mega Millions starting with the May 17, 2002 drawing.
Top 25 cash value jackpots
Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.
The upcoming Powerball jackpot ranks as the 12th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
  1. Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
  2. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  3. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
  4. Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 7, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  5. Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
  6. Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
  7. Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($636 million annuity) - California, Georgia
  8. Powerball: $336.8 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
  9. Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
  10. Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
  11. Powerball: $254.7 million cash, Nov. 26, 2016 ($420.9 million annuity) - Tennessee
  12. Powerball: $243.9 million cash, Feb. 22, 2017 ($403 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  13. Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
  14. Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
  15. Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
  16. Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
  17. Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
  18. Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
  19. Mega Millions: $214 million cash, Aug. 28, 2009 ($336 million annuity) - California, New York
  20. Powerball: $211 million cash, Mar. 23, 2013 ($338.3 million annuity) - New Jersey
  21. Powerball: $210 million cash, Feb. 11, 2012 ($336.4 million annuity) - Rhode Island
  22. Mega Millions: $202.9 million cash, Mar. 25, 2011 ($319 million annuity) - New York
  23. Mega Millions: $197.5 million cash, Nov. 4, 2014 ($321 million annuity) - New York
  24. Powerball: $197.4 million cash, Sep. 30, 2015 ($310.5 million annuity) - Michigan
  25. Mega Millions: $194.4 million cash, Aug. 31, 2007 ($330 million annuity) - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
The number of jackpot cash values in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
  • Powerball: 15
  • Mega Millions: 10

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Britain's youngest EuroMillions winner planning to sue lottery for 'ruining' her life

Britain's youngest EuroMillions lottery winner has revealed she is planning to take legal action against the lottery for negligence.
Jane Park, who won £1 million (US$1.25 million) at the age of 17, said winning the windfall had "ruined" her life and she often thought things would have been better if she had never won.
Ms Park, now 21, argued that someone of her age should not have been allowed to win such a substantial sum of money. She said 18 should be the minimum age for winning the lottery and suggested the current limit of 16 was too young.
She said she had become bored of relentless consumption and felt like it failed to offered long-term genuine happiness. Before winning the lottery, Ms Park, who now owns two properties, worked as an admin temp for £8 an hour and lived in a small flat with her mum in Edinburgh.
"I thought it would make it 10 times better but it's made it 10 times worse. I wish I had no money most days. I say to myself, 'My life would be so much easier if I hadn't won'," she told the Sunday People.
"People look at me and think, 'I wish I had her lifestyle, I wish I had her money.' But they don't realise the extent of my stress. I have material things but apart from that my life is empty. What is my purpose in life?"
"I think 18 should be the minimum age for winning the lottery, at the least. The current age of 16 is far too young."
Despite the fact that Camelot, which runs EuroMillions in the UK, appointed an adviser to help Ms Park deal with her newly accumulated wealth, she said it was family advice that helped her keep her spending in check.
"I've read about other lottery winners who've just blown it all and I can totally see how it can be done," she said. "I was stuck in front of a financial adviser who was using words like investment bonds. I had no clue what they meant."
Ms Park said it was unsettling how differently her life had turned out from her friends, making her feel isolated.
"It's scary how different my life is from my friends'. When they say they're stressed about the money they mean their wages are s***," she said. "There's no one in the same boat as me, no one who really understands. I feel like I'm a 40-year-old."
A spokesperson for Camelot told The Independent: "Camelot takes its duty of care to winners very seriously and all major winners are offered support and advice for as long as they wish. That support is tailored to each winner's situation and circumstances — and for younger winners, their age will obviously be an important factor in the advice and support offered. 
"Following her win, Jane received extensive support from Camelot," it continued. "A dedicated winners' adviser visited Jane at home to pay out her prize, arrange private banking and support her through the publicity when she chose to share news of her win.  An independent financial and legal panel was set up shortly after her win and we put Jane in touch with another winner who won at the same age, to share their experience and help Jane adjust to the win.
"We keep in contact with all major winners for as long as they wish and have been in touch with Jane from time to time since her win to offer ongoing support. Of course, it is always up to the winners themselves as to whether they want to take us up that ongoing support and advice — but the door is always open and we will continue to support Jane in any way we can if that is what decides she wants."
Camelot said the minimum age limit to play the lottery was an issue for Parliament to deal with.
"Anyone over the age of 16 can play the lottery, and therefore win a prize," they said in a statement. "Camelot doesn't set the age limit to play — this was agreed at the launch of the National Lottery back in 1994 and so any questions about the legal age to play would be a matter for Parliament."
While most who play the lottery fantasise about the moment of winning the jackpot, the reality of winning can be more complicated. There are numerous stories of lottery winners who have struggled to get used to quitting their jobs and becoming rich overnight.
Callie Rogers, who was 16 and earning £3.60 an hour when she won a National Lottery jackpot worth £1,875,000 in 2003, struggled to adjust to her newfound wealth. She went on a spending spree and is reported to have tried to kill herself.
Ironically, Rogers has said she is much happier now she has spent her fortune. "I don't think of myself as a lottery winner — I try to forget the ups and downs I've been through and just feel like a normal person," she explained in 2013.
"It was too much money for someone so young. Even if you say your life won't change, it does — and often not for the better."
News story photo

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Georgia Lottery to add extra Cash 3, Cash 4 drawings

Georgia Lottery daily numbers games players will get extra opportunities to play every day starting Sunday.
Beginning on Feb. 12, the Georgia Lottery is adding an additional Cash 3 drawing late at night, and an extra Cash 4 drawing in the early evening.  The new drawings mean that a total of three Cash 3 and Cash 4 drawings will be held every day, at the same times.
The current drawing schedule is a bit odd, with Cash 3 and Cash 4 both holding a midday drawing at 12:29 p.m., but then different times for their evening drawings, with the Cash 3 evening drawing held at 6:59 p.m. and Cash 4 at 11:34 p.m.
The new schedule adds a Cash 3 drawing at 11:34 p.m. and a Cash 4 drawing at 6:59 p.m., so that each of the three draw times will feature drawings for both games.
It has been 16 years since a drawing has been added to either game. On Feb. 5, 2001, the Georgia Lottery added midday drawings to the Cash 4 game.
Aside from the new drawings, the other aspects of the games remain unchanged.

Friday, February 10, 2017

S.C. man wins lottery jackpot twice

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina man became a two-time lottery winner in a single day when he cashed in a pair of tickets worth $100,000 and $200,000.
The lucky Darlington resident has been playing the Palmetto Cash 5 daily drawing game for more than a decade, trying out different strategies to win, and yesterday he cashed in two winning tickets worth $100,000 and $200,000.
"This is life changing," he said.
His idea to quick pick five numbers at the Situ LLC on South Main St. and then drive three miles to the EZ Shop on Pearl St. and play those same numbers for a second time paid off.
"I'm paying off my house," he said. "I'm debt free."
On the local news he heard where two stores in Darlington sold winning lottery tickets. He checked his tickets and discovered both wins were his. His two tickets matched all five numbers drawn on Monday, January 30 (6, 12, 16, 28, and 36).
And he says he'll keep playing.
"Yes, of course," he said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Because he Powered-up the second ticket, his $100,000 prize was doubled to $200,000 when a "2" multiplier was selected.
The odds of winning $100,000 playing Palmetto Cash 5 are 1 in 501,942. The odds of winning $200,000 playing Palmetto Cash 5 are 1 in 1,003,884.
The odds of winning both prizes in the same drawing were seemingly unlikely, until now.

Sunday, February 5, 2017

18-year-old wins $1M Powerball prize

SOMERSET, Ky. — An 18-year-old Kentucky woman has won $1 million from Wednesday night's Powerball drawing.
Tanya Herrera, 18, of Campbellsville, Kentucky, won by matching the five white-ball winning numbers on her ticket but not the Powerball.
The computer-generated quick pick ticket chose 22 as her Powerball number, but 10 is what was drawn for the $206 million jackpot.
Herrera, who was in Somerset visiting her father, says she doesn't have much experience playing the lottery.
After checking the winning numbers on the internet, her dad suggested she go to the store to check it.
"I really didn't know what to do," Herrera said. "I scanned it myself and when I saw $1 million pop up on the machine, I thought it was broken."
Herrera says she'll use some of her winnings toward college tuition and is considering attending Western Kentucky University.
News story photo

Friday, February 3, 2017

Woman finds $100,000 lottery ticket while cleaning

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Lottery officials say a Georgia woman found a winning Powerball ticket in a stack of old tickets.
The discovery was made while cleaning. The winning ticket was purchased last September in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Officials said in a news release that the woman was visiting family in the Upstate when she bought the winning ticket at Mit Food Mart on West Georgia Road.
"My New Year's resolution was to not let stuff pile up," she said.
The ticket is worth $100,000. Along with that win, she found more winning tickets from S.C. and Georgia totaling $30.
Lottery officials say the winner was relieved to find the ticket before time ran out to claim her prize.
The odds of matching four white ball numbers and the red Powerball number are 1 in 913,129. The odds of a 2X multiplier being selected are 1 in 1.75.
Players have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prize.
For selling the claimed ticket, Mit Food Mart in Simpsonville received a commission of $1,000.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

$4.5 million Hoosier Lotto winning ticket set to expire

A lottery ticket worth $4.5 million bought at an Indianapolis grocery store last August is set to expire in two weeks.
The Hoosier Lotto ticket was purchased at Marsh Supermarket located at 1435 W. 86th St., Indianapolis, Indiana, and matched all 6 numbers. The Aug. 17, 2016, winning numbers were 16, 17, 19, 22, 43, and 44.
The ticket holder has until 5 p.m. EDT on Feb. 13, 2017, to claim the winnings. The ticket holder should sign the back immediately and contact Hoosier Lottery customer service at 1-800-955-6886 for specific claim instructions. The prize must be claimed at Hoosier Lottery headquarters in Indianapolis.
All Hoosier Lottery draw game prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing.
The odds of winning the jackpot in the Hoosier Lotto game are 1 in 9,366,819.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Nearly 14,000 S.C. lottery players won Pick 3 Friday

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A record number of South Carolina Education Lottery Pick 3 players started their weekend with a win.
13,996 players won with 4-4-4 in Friday's evening drawing.
Depending on the price paid for the ticket, winners took home either $250 or $500 per play.
Triple number combinations are by far the Lottery's most popular played sequences, this time resulting in a $3.5 million prize payout.
Friday night's draw surpasses the game's previous record number of winners set just last month, when triple 5s paid out $3.4 million to 13,657 winners on December 8.
This marks the tenth time 4-4-4 has been drawn by the Lottery. The last time 4-4-4 was seen was back in December of 2012.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Man wins lottery on his birthday thanks to mom's advice

Here are 5 million reasons to listen to your mother.
A Delta Air Lines ramp agent took his mom's advice and bought a scratch-off lottery ticket on his 28th birthday — and it turned out to be a $5 million winner.
Clarke, who lives in Queens, said his mother, Andrea, gave him $50 on Dec. 19. The next day, while visiting his girlfriend in Brooklyn for a birthday celebration, Clarke stopped at the Friendly Deli & Grocery in Brownsville.
He bought two $10 "Set for Life" scratch-offs — but never imagined he would win.
"I didn't have high hopes," he said.
Back at his girlfriend's apartment, Clarke said he scratched one of the tickets and saw a match on number 16 with the word "Life" under it, indicating he had hit the jackpot. He recalled screaming "Whoo-whoo-whoo!"
"I started laughing and dancing all around the house," said Clarke.
The first person he tried to get on the phone? Dear old mom.
Andrea, 52, a hospital worker, said she had six missed calls from her son before they were finally able to speak.
"He called me and told me," she said. "I was really happy. I couldn't believe it."
The jackpot prize was $5 million, but instead of incremental payouts, Clarke opted to take the one-time lump sum of $2,453,693.
"I was very surprised that I won the jackpot and feel very blessed. It means I won't have to worry so much," said Clarke, who said he has no plans to quit his day job.
"There will always be something to worry about, but for once, it won't be about money."
His mother has been cautioning him about what to do with the millions, telling him to spend the money wisely and not to splurge or show off.
Clarke said he is looking forward to buying his own home, where his family can live.
"I'll take it one day at a time and see," he said about any other ideas of spending the money, like taking a vacation or buying a boat.
Store owner Mohamed Ali, 42, said he was thrilled to have sold the winning ticket to Clarke.
"He called me and told me. I couldn't believe it. I was happy for him," said Ali.
"This is the first time we've had a big winner. He's lucky."
News story photo)

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

$83M Mega Millions jackpot claimed in Georgia

Winners' identities cloaked by legal entity
It took some time, but the winners of an $83 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot have stepped up and claimed their prize — using a legal framework to avoid revealing their identities.
In November, the Mega Millions lottery announced that a winning ticket had been bought from Georgia. To be exact, the ticket was purchased from the White Water Chevron at 334 Cobb Parkway in Marietta.
Two months later, the winners have come forward and claimed their prize.
But who are they?
The state lottery agency Thursday said "members of ADirectConnection LLC" had won the the Nov. 18 Mega Millions drawing.
"If individuals decide to play in a group, prizes may be claimed by a single legal entity, such as a corporation, partnership or trust. Often times, winners consult with attorneys, accountants and financial advisors to decide what option is best for them," said Tandi Reddick, spokeswoman for the Georgia lottery.
It's not uncommon for winners to wait to claim their prize.
A 64-year-old woman from Dallas claimed her $7.5 million lottery prize in October three months after she knew she was a winner because she wanted time to plan.
For the $83 million prize, the agency had put the word out a few days after the drawing that no one had claimed the prize.
The business was formed 10 days after the drawing, according to state records. It is registered to a Sugarloaf Parkway address in Duluth that matches a psychiatrist's office.
The winners chose to receive the lump-sum cash option, which netted $50,826,699 before taxes.  The cash option gives the winners the entire cash amount of the jackpot up-front, rather than accruing interest and doling out payments over 29 years that would deliver millions of dollars more, albeit over a long stretch of time.
The winning numbers were 31, 32, 49, 55, and 58, with Mega Ball number 15. The store that sold the lucky ticket was White Water Chevron at 334 Cobb Parkway S. in Marietta.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Wisconsin $1M lottery ticket expires next week

 
MADISON, Wis. — Time is nearly out for a Wisconsin lottery player to claim a huge win.
A winning $1 million Powerball ticket was sold on Madison's east side for the Aug. 6 drawing, Wisconsin Lottery officials said.
Once lottery numbers are drawn, winners have 180 days to claim their prize. To meet that deadline, the missing Madison ticket must be claimed at the Wisconsin Lottery's headquarters at 2135 Rimrock Road in Madison, by 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 2, 2017.
"If the ticket is not redeemed by the deadline, the $1 million will be returned to Wisconsinites in the form of property tax relief," lottery spokesman Casey Langan said.
The winning numbers from the August 6, 2016 drawing were 20, 33, 36, 47, and 52, with Powerball number 12. The Power Play number was 3.
If the ticket expires, it won't be the first time. A $1 million ticket sold in Eau Claire in late 2015 expired in March of last year after the winner failed to come forward.