Tag Archives: million
All About Powerball
Powerball is the oldest multi state lottery is the US. Powerball was formerly known as Lotto America and was started in 1988. The game and the name was changed to Powerball in 1992. Powerball drawings are held at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 PM EST. Powerball lottery tickets are only $1 and players select five numbers from 1 through 59 and one Powerball number from 1 through 39. Players can select their own numbers or can use the quick pick option available at all lottery retailers. Powerball players do not have to match the winning numbers in the exact order they are drawn. For another dollar players can activate the Power Play option which can multiply non jackpot winnings by 2 or 5.
In October of 2009 the Multi State Lottery Association, which operates Powerball, and the Mega Millions consortium reached an agreement allowing the cross sales of tickets for both lotteries in most jurisdictions. Previously states could either sell Powerball or Mega Millions but not both. The move has been popular with lottery players and ticket sales have increased for both lotteries. Powerball holds the record for the largest jackpot won by a single lottery ticket. In 2007 seven workers at a Nebraska Con Agra plant won a record $365 million dollar Powerball jackpot. Previously West Virginia resident Jack Whittaker won a $315 million Powerball jackpot which is one of the largest jackpots won by a single ticketholder.
Powerball has provided many colorful wins. In 2009 a down on his luck South Dakota cowboy won a $232 million Powerball jackpot. Neal Wanless was just about to lose his trailer home and couldnt pay back taxes of $3,552 owed on the family ranch. Wanless said he plans to share his good fortune with other community members. The family had been selling scrap metal to get by. On April 23rd, 2010 a Missouri convenience store clerk who was down to his last $30 dollars won a whopping $258 million Powerball jackpot. Chris Shaw, who was working for minimum wage and was struggling with basic living expenses, will no longer have to worry about bills.
Powerball odds are long and players have about a 1 in 195,249,054.00 chance of matching all five numbers plus the Powerball. Players who match all five numbers without the Powerball can win $200,000. Players who match four numbers plus the Powerball win $10,000. Powerball winners have the option to take their winnings in cash or as an annuity paid in 30 installments over the course of 29 years. Powerball winners have 90 days to one year to claim winnings depending on the rules in the jurisdiction where the ticket was purchased.
Powerball is going strong in the 21st century. Hopefully in the near future Powerball and other lotteries will adopt 21st century technology and offer the sale of online lottery tickets!
Mega Millions Lottery Results
Mega Millions is the popular multi jurisdiction mega jackpot lottery that is played by millions. Thanks to an agreement between the Mega Millions consortium and the Multi-State Lottery Association in 2010 both lotteries are now available in 38 states. Drawings take place twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 PM. Since 11:00 is late for many Mega Millions players they can check Mega Millions lottery results at the official Mega Millions website or at one of the many online lottery websites. Thanks to new mobile technology players can check Mega Millions lottery results on their cell phones or any mobile device.
During the past couple of years there have been several incidents of lottery fraud where players have taken their lottery tickets to a lottery retailer, typically a convenience store, to have the numbers checked. An unscrupulous clerk will take the winning ticket and tell the victim that the ticket is worthless. Probably the most famous example of this was the case of Texas lottery player Willis Willis who was cheated out of a $1 million dollar lottery win by a clerk who fled the country. To avoid similar scams players should check Mega Millions lottery results at the official Mega Millions site or at one of the many online lottery sites. Players should always sign their mega Millions ticket and any other lottery ticket they may have purchased.
A single $1 dollar Mega Millions ticket has a 1 in 175,711,536 chance of hitting the jackpot. Most players opt for the quick pick option where numbers are chosen by a random number generator. Some lottery experts say that using the quick pick option increases the chance of winning by 10 to 15%. Obviously the more Mega Millions tickets that are purchased the greater the chances of winning. Once the drawing has taken place players can check for the latest Mega Millions lottery results. Players can either check online and Mega Millions lottery results are also posted at most lottery retailers.
Failing to check Mega Millions lottery results can be costly. In 2002 a mega Millions jackpot of $68 million went unclaimed and in 2003 a $46 million dollar Mega Millions jackpot remained unclaimed. If these players had only checked the latest mega Millions lottery results they would now be living a life of luxury. Given the ease with which Mega Millions lottery results can be checked there is simply no excuse for a jackpot to go unclaimed.