The former bar manager bought the life-changing scratch card while in Yeovil town centre on Wednesday, January 25.

Speaking about the moment she realised she was £100,000 richer, Danielle said: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I rang my mum there and then – we were both so excited. It’s taken a while for it to sink in.”

Danielle, who lives with her grandmother, Jan, has been looking for a new job since the pub she worked in closed down six months ago.

“This money has come at just the right time for me. I plan to put the majority of the money towards buying a flat of my own, but I would also like to spend some on having some driving lessons and buying a car, which will help me when applying for jobs.” she added

source: Yeovil Express

The $5 ticket will have five $100,000 instant prizes, along with many smaller prizes. As well as instant cash prizes, non-winning Ultimate Fan tickets can be entered into second-chance drawings online for the NASCAR fan experiences, each valued at $20,000.

There will be six second-chance winners and they will have the following three options to choose from:

• A five-day trip to a NASCAR race of the winner’s choice with VIP track access, Club-level seating and a luxury hotel suite.

• A four-day trip to a NASCAR race of the winner’s choice with VIP track access and infield luxury motor coach accommodations.

• A six-day VIP experience at the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas.

“The initial response has been enthusiastic,” said Christopher Bushnell, social media specialist at the lottery.

source: News Observer

The image is featured on billboards around Atlantic Canada advertising ShaBam, a new lottery game. It shows a cow draped over a fence, its front feet dangling.

“I think it’s animal cruelty. I don’t think they should be showing that at all. I don’t think it has anything to do with the lottery,” said one woman.

Lindsay Shannon, spokeswoman for Atlantic Lotto, said “We would like to apologize to anyone who was offended by the image. That certainly was not our intention.”

According to Ms. Shannon, the image was chosen to reflect the “quirky and unexpected personality” of the new game.

The first half of the fiscal year 2012 and the Georgia Lottery`s first-half transfer to the Lottery for Education Account brings the total amount raised for educational programs in the state to $13 billion plus since the lottery`s inception in 1993.

All Georgia Lottery profits go toward payment for specific educational programs, including the HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia`s Pre-K Program.

More than 1.3 million students have received HOPE Scholarships and more than 1.1 million four year olds have attended the statewide, voluntary pre-kindergarten program.

Five tickets, two each sold in California and Iowa and one in South Carolina matched five numbers but didn’t have the Mega number. The two sold in California are each worth $114,403 and the ones sold in Iowa and South Carolina $250,000 each, a California Lottery official announced today.

The numbers drawn Tuesday night were 3, 15, 31, 36, 53 and the Mega number was 27. The estimated jackpot was $50 million.

The drawing was the sixth since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold. Ticket sales will be high for the next draw thanks to the massive rollover from six draws with no winner.

The Mega Millions game is played in 41 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

source: Contra Costa Times

Legal gambling in Italy turned over €76.1 billion last year, whilst €10 billion was generated in the illegal gambling industry.

Libera’s report, entitled; “Azzardopoli – the country’s gambling. When the going gets tough….the gangs starts to play“. The dossier suggests that Italians spend about 1,260 euro per year, per capita in search of the lucky break that could change their lives, whether it is via video poker, slot machines, scratch cards, or bingo.

Over two million people play gambling games and 800,000 people are employed in one of the few industries in Italy that hasn’t been badly affected by the financial crisis

Libera’s report also contains information on which Mafia families are involved in Italy’s gambling industry all over the country.

source: AGI.it

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG) probe is routine procedure when lottery retailers win prizes. Prior to winning the Dec. 30 draw, the couple owned a convenience store

Under the “No Play at Work” policy, OLG retailers can not buy, check or redeem their tickets at their place of employment. Luckily for the couple they purchased and redeemed their ticket at another local convenience store.

“When we won the ticket, we knew, ‘Oh boy, are they going to be looking into us,’” they told CTV’s Canada AM on Thursday. “We have no problem with it.”

The prize will be reviewed separately by OLG and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

“The claimants… have each been employed as lottery retailers within the past year, their prize claim is subject to OLG’s Insider Wins process,” said a statement issued by the agency. “The payment of prizes to Insiders is held for 30 days to allow anyone with concerns regarding the prize to come forward.”

The couple plans to give money to their family and buy some new things, but also are looking to support their local food bank and hospital.

source: CTV.ca

The Greek government has struggled to sell it’s major assets so far as it bids to make up to €50 billion from an ambitious asset sale to stave off bankruptcy, another default on the EU bailout and national debt of 160% of GDP.

According to Reuters news agency some of the world’s biggest gaming majors teamed up to consider a bid, including Lottomatica, Scientific Games and Intralot. The consortium is led by Greece’s OPAP, Europe’s biggest listed gaming company.

Costas Mitropoulos, head of the state’s privatisation agency said, “Despite extremely uncertain economic conditions results from the first stage of the state lottery tender are very encouraging.”

The Greek government is hoping to make upwards of €500 million from the sale of the national lottery, which turned over €348 million last year alone.

The ailing country’s government will be hoping for a quick sale as it has struggled to come close to it’s initial €5 billion asset sales target this year, generating only €1.7bn so far.

Yesterday the new millionaire was happy to be back at work and keeping a low profile.

“I’m a quiet and shy person,” Mr T told the Belfast Telegraph. “I don’t want any attention.”

A National Lottery spokesman added: “Well done to Mr T. He has banked this amazing prize with just a few simple clicks — he didn’t even have to pick up a ticket. If you play interactively we not only check your numbers, but also let you know you have won — it couldn’t be easier.”

A total of 50 millionaires will be created in the countdown to Christmas. Lottery players from Northern Ireland have enjoyed a number of big wins in the past.

Mr Lee, currently living in Loughborough announced that he plans to use the money to buy himself a three-bedroom home and treat his parents and two younger brothers to new cars.

He bought a £5 Christmas Millionaire scratchcard on Thursday afternoon after doing a roofing job in Woodhouse Eaves – where he used to live and always buys his tickets.

Describing the momnent he realised he’d won the jackpot he said, “I couldn’t believe it. I looked away and looked at it again and it was still there. I started shaking and then I went home and jumped in the air. I’ve already been looking at houses and I’m getting a second-hand Aston Martin DB9. It’s going to be pretty cool driving it.”

Mick, who is divorced and has two sons, said he spent about £12 a week on Lottery tickets and had had regular wins of between £10 and £40 plus one syndicate win of £2,115.

The shopkeeper of the store Mr Lee bought his winning tickets in Jay Sutaria said, “We’ve been selling scratchcards since they started but have never had a jackpot before. Mick came in at about 2pm and spent £10 on cards. I remember saying to him ‘You never know, you might be having a very happy Christmas’.”

source: Thisisleicestershire.co.uk