A lucky man from Albuquerque, New Mexico, won the grand prize from the popular game Lotto America recently. The man, who became the first New Mexico Lottery player to secure a jackpot from the game, won the grand prize from the draw on November 4, 2023. Identified as Neil Cochran, the lucky winner visited the New Mexico Lottery headquarters earlier this week to collect the grand prize of $3.52 million, won from Lotto America.

To win the grand prize, Cochran guessed correctly all five white balls with numbers 8, 11, 23, 47, 48 and Star Ball number 4. He purchased the winning ticket at Speedway #9093 at 6570 Paradise Blvd NW in Albuquerque. Since there was no other winning jackpot ticket from the draw on November 4, the lucky man collected the whole grand prize himself.

After discovering that he was the winner of the jackpot prize, Cochran told his mother. The woman initially thought that he and his girlfriend were pulling a prank on her, saying that she didn’t believe them. Undoubtedly, she changed her mind when she saw her son holding the oversized check with the $3.52 million jackpot sum written on it.

The Winner Picked the Numbers Himself

Visiting Speedway ahead of the draw on November 4, Cochran was offered by a store employee to participate in the lottery. The employee remembered the lucky winner who told them that Lotto America has better odds than Mega Millions and Powerball. Cochran was further attracted to the game by the fact that the ticket cost was only $1.

Once he decided to play, the lucky man did not use randomly generated numbers by Quick Pick. Instead, Cochran had numbers in mind that he picked himself. Besides Lotto America, the man purchased tickets for Mega Millions and Powerball games too. True to his gut feeling that he would be the winner, Cochran used the same numbers for all three games.

Earlier this week, the Powerball jackpot survived the draw on Wednesday. The latest draw of the game didn’t have a grand prize winner, nor a winner that collected a second-tier prize of $1 million for guessing correctly all white balls. With hours left until the drawing on Saturday, the Powerball jackpot is expected to hit $220 million or $101.2 million in cash value.

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A lucky Chicago person has won $1.2 million after matching all five Lucky Day Lotto numbers. As of the time of this writing, the player has yet to claim their prize.

The winning ticket was sold at a Jewel Osco store in the Lake View community area on October 27. The player in question correctly guessed the winning combination, which was as follows: 14-15-24-25-34.

The store which sold the winning ticket is set to receive a $12,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. The bonus represents 1% of the total amount of the jackpot. The winner, meanwhile, has a year from the date of the draw to collect the prize.

The lottery advised the winner to keep the ticket safe until he redeems it. Officials also advised them to write their name on the back of the ticket just in case.

For reference, the jackpot winner isn’t the only lottery player to return home richer. According to official statistics, a total of 50,000 players in the state have drawn a winning ticket. In total, the lottery will hand more than $1.3 million in prizes.

The winner was congratulated by Rush Street Interactive’s president, Richard Schwartz, who said that her win shows that online gambling allows players to achieve life-changing victories no matter the time or place.

In other news, a player from New Jersey just turned a $2 online bet into a $290,000 payday. The lucky woman was playing Divine Fortune on SugarHouse Online Casino’s online platform during an online conference when she struck the prize and almost screamed mid-call.

The New Powerball Jackpot Continues to Grow

In the meantime, America braces for the upcoming Powerball draw, which will provide players with a shot at a staggering $152 million prize. The Powerball jackpot has been ramping up for several weeks now, tempting more and more players with its size.

In October, a Californian player won the previous Powerball jackpot, which had reached $1.765 billion. This was notably the largest jackpot in the history of the game. However, this led some players to question the legitimacy of the game.

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Scientific Games announced that it has signed a new contract with Lotto Hessen in Wiesbaden, Germany. As agreed, the supplier will provide the lottery company with over 2,200 of its Contour.v terminals. In addition, Lotto Hessen’s gaming system will be converted to Scientific Games’ cutting-edge SYMPHONY system.

The Contour.v terminals are some of the best machines Scientific Games has to offer. The agreement will therefore help Lotto Hessen modernize its offering, allowing it to remain ahead of the curve. Boasting clerk and player HD screens, contactless player interactions and mobile scanning, the terminals will instantly set Lotto Hessen apart from its competitors.

Lotto Hessen will notably be one of the pioneers when it comes to the Contour.v terminals. As a result, the company will be among the first to benefit from the camera-based terminals’ features, transparent ticket scan area, HD screens and advanced optic technology.

The machines furthermore sport a sleek, uni-body that eliminates unnecessary parts, making the newest line of Contour terminals very durable and reliable. The terminals also offer easy processing and a variety of options for software upgrades.

The deal expands the existing partnership between Scientific Games and Lotto Hessen. The former company already provides Lotto Hessen’s gaming systems technology, instant game management system and sports betting solution. In addition, Scientific Games supplies the company with instant scratch games and the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership program.

Lotto Hessen Is Glad to Deepen Its Partnership with Scientific Games

Lotto Hessen’s managing director. Martin J. Blach, noted that his team has worked with Scientific Games for over two decades. The lottery company has grown to trust the supplier thanks to its reliable products.

Commenting on the current deal, Blach explained that the addition of the new terminals is in line with Lotto Hessen’s modernization efforts.

The camera-based Contour.v terminals are part of our overall plan to continue innovating that experience and responsibly adapting to retail trends and consumer behavior.

Martin J. Blach, MD, Lotto Hessen

Meanwhile, Matthias Müller, Scientific Games’ VP of sales and marketing, said that the launch of the new terminals was prompted by the supplier’s desire to innovate and respond to the needs of the increasingly complex lottery ecosystem.

The Contour.v terminals signify a new era for Scientific Games with the most advanced optics and pattern recognition software.

Matthias Müller, VP of sales and marketing, Scientific Games

Last month, Scientific Games extended its partnership with the Ohio Lottery.

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New Zealand’s National Lottery, Lotto NZ, has selected Scientific Games as its new systems technology provider. As a result, the provider will roll out its next-gen technology, replacing the lottery’s existing core gaming system and online gaming system. Scientific Games’ solution will power Lotto NZ with a lottery retail system, retail point-of-sale technology, a digital lottery platform and a digital content aggregation hub.

According to the announcement, the seven-year agreement will see Scientific Games roll out its SYMPHONY gaming system to transform Lotto NZ’s draw-based games engine and communication across its retail network and 1,200+ Contour.v point-of-sale terminals and wireless ticket checkers.

Scientific Games will furthermore leverage its SG Content Hub aggregation division to provide Lotto NZ with multiple online games, draw-based games and eInstants developed by Scientific Games and third-party developers.

The official start of the agreement is the day it goes live. The arrangement can be extended for up to 12 years, Scientific Games noted.

Scientific Games is a long-term partner of the lottery and has supported it with retail instant scratch games for more than three decades. For reference, Lotto NZ currently offers Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Bullseye, Keno and Instant Kiwi.

Lotto NZ Considers Scientific Games a Reliable Partner

Lotto NZ’s chief executive officer, Chris Lyman, commented on the new partnership with Scientific Games, praising the provider for high-quality products and commitment to safer gambling.

Scientific Games’ commitment to providing engaging, socially responsible and leading gaming technology, with the customer firmly at its center, was a great match for Lotto New Zealand’s values and the future focus of our business.

Chris Lyman, CEO, Lotto NZ

Lyman added that his team is confident the two parties will continue to enjoy a “collaborative and successful partnership in the years to come.” He highlighted Lotto NZ’s ambition to grow responsibly and reach more New Zealanders. Because of this, the company finds it imperative to deliver innovative and engaging games that are intuitive, fun and safe.

Lyman concluded that Scientific Games’ tech reflects his team’s values and will help his team reach its goals.

Michael Conforti, Scientific Games’ president, international, added:

Lotto New Zealand is a recognized leader in the global lottery industry, and we are committed to a technology implementation that will responsibly drive its business to the next level for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

Michael Conforti, president, international, Scientific Games

Confrorti promised that his team will help Lotto NZ maximize returns to local communities.

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South African cricket fast bowler Dale Steyn will work together with Win Millions Lotto to support nature conservation projects across Africa and India. As a result, the partnership will see a portion of the proceeds from lottery ticket sales donated to The Legacy Experience Foundation (TLEF).

A legend in cricket, Steyn has chosen to represent TLEF, which is a non-profit organization founded by Kevin Pietersen, a fellow cricket star. TLEF’s initiatives seek to protect endangered wildlife in Africa and India, maintaining the integrity of the local ecosystems.

As a partner of Win Millions Lotto, Steyn will promote the operator’s products across his social media channels. Thanks to the player’s partnership with the lottery company, players will be able to indirectly contribute to TLEF’s initiatives.

By clicking on one of the links on Steyn’s Instagram page, fans will make sure that a portion of their money will go to support important conservation projects that seek to protect the environment from human activity.

In addition to supporting a relevant cause, players can win special experiences that will allow them to meet Steyn in person. This will be the opportunity of a lifetime for many passionate cricket aficionados.

Steyn Encouraged Fans to Play Through His Instagram Link

As an ally of Win Millions Lotto, Steyn will join the likes of Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik and Dwayne Bravo who are all partners of the lottery operator. This strong lineup of partners allows the company to appeal to sports fans, channeling them toward its platform.

The agreement with Steyn is likely to attract even more sports fans. This will bolster Win Millions Lotto’s presence while allowing fans to support important initiatives and help to protect endangered animals across the world.

Steyn said that he is delighted by the opportunity to work with Win Millions Lotto and support TLEF – a conservation charity that is really close to his heart. He praised the non-profit for its good work and encouraged his players to play Win Millions Lotto’s lotteries through his Instagram page.

Steyn concluded that he is looking forward to meeting the lucky fans who will win a meet-up with him and discussing cricket over a nice dinner.

Sulim Malook, Win Millions Lotto’s chief executive officer, said that his team is glad to welcome Steyn as a partner. Malook added that the lottery company is proud to support Steyn’s charity of choice and allow fans to meet him in person.

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Global technology and software company delivering leading numbers and virtual sports games Kiron Interactive announced the launch of a new product that will help it expand its presence in Africa. On Wednesday, the company confirmed that it launched a product called UK Numbers, which was specifically designed for different African markets.

UK Numbers is a lotto draw TV channel, that delivers exciting and engaging experiences for customers across the continent. Described by Kiron Interactive as a “world-class, fixed odds, lotto draw channel,” the new product is expected to fuel its growth in the African region. It delivers a mix of two formats, providing live entertainment for a wide range of customers.

The new UK Numbers product caters to the growing popularity of games with small-stake and high turnover. Such content proved to be popular not only in Africa but in other markets around the globe, which is one of the reasons why Kiron Interactive decided to introduce this product.

At the same time, the company acknowledged that it will leverage its strong position within the market in Africa and use the format to boost its operations. Besides helping the company grow, UK Numbers is expected to deliver engaging experiences for the players, align with their expectations and fit their requirements.

Expansion of Numbers Products Continues

Steven Spartinos, Kiron Interactive’s co-CEO, explained that the new product in Africa will cater to the lottery fans in the country. He explained that the new product grants an opportunity for significant payouts with minimal wagers.

“With the 49’s draw taking place twice daily and the introduction of the brand new 39’s product occurring every three minutes, players now have an even wider range of options and greater chances of success across various market demographics,” added Spartinos. Finally, he spoke about the popularity of 24/7 numbers products in other markets and predicted that this product will further build on the success seen before.

“The launch of our new channel brings exciting news for lottery enthusiasts in Africa.“

Steven Spartinos, co-CEO at Kiron Interactive

According to Kiron, the new 49’s live draw will have two broadcasts per day. A team of experienced and loved presenters will be in charge of the drawing. The launch isn’t a huge surprise, considering the popularity of 49’s presents around the globe in the last few decades. The games, as noted by Kiron, offer customers a chance for significant payouts with a small stake by picking the correct balls from the 49-ball format.

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Ever since it officially launched the Classic Lotto game in 2007, the Ohio Lottery has recorded 27 jackpot wins. The last one, which is yet to be claimed, was announced last week, thanks to one lucky ticket bought in Butler County. 

$1.4 Million Waiting to be Redeemed 

The fortunate player who made the purchase at Don’s Carry Out in Darrtown triggered the third jackpot in an impressive trio of these Classic Lotto jackpots to be won in a single month. This in itself is a very rare occurrence, with the odds of winning the jackpot announced as 1 in 13,983,816. 

It only took five more draws for the 27th jackpot to be hit following the 26th jackpot on April 22. The latter came seven drafts after the 25th jackpot was recorded on April 5. 

While most people would probably come running in a heartbeat to claim the massive wins, Ohio Lottery’s spokesperson Marie Kilbane informed the public that just one of the three jackpots has been so far claimed. 

Six Months to Claim the Winning Lotto Tickets 

Winners are given a total of 180 days since the draw took place to claim any winning tickets. Failing to claim a win will result in the jackpot being redirected to schools in the Buckeye State, which is what happens to all profits recorded by state lotteries here. 

While Kilbane said that there was still time for the other two jackpot winners to come forward, he also expressed his confidence that “someone has been alerted to the fact that there has been a winner here.“

The representative added that the Ohio Lottery usually takes pride in its good rate of winners claiming their jackpots, expressive hope to see a continuation of this track record. 

Don’s Carry Out owner, Eric Beckett, explained that his family shop has been flooded with customers since the news of the massive jackpot became public. Beckett added that the big news generated “a lot of buzz around town,” with many people walking into his store just to inquire about the event which rarely happens in small towns like Darrtown. 

In an interview he gave to the Journal-News, the shop owner further explained that while a small number of his clients are passers-by, most of his business comes from the locals which he mostly knows by name and which he hopes would come forward to claim the jackpot by October. 

After a minimum 24% federal government tax and a 4% state tax will be applied to the amount that was won, an estimated $614,880 net cash payout would reach the winner’s pockets in case they would opt for a cash lump sum. 

In case they would opt for annual payments, they would receive a $1,008,000 net annuity payout out of the total $1.4 million won. 

In similar news, two Mega Millions jackpots were hit in less than a week in New York, with a lucky player winning a $483 million jackpot at the end of April, followed by another Mega Millions jackpot drop of approximately $20 million announced shortly after.

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A UK resident, that was convicted of rape went on a shopping spree after winning a £2.5 million ($3.2 million) jackpot more than a decade ago. The man, identified as Edward Putman, bought a few properties, luxury cars and obtained other assets. It has taken quite some time for Putman’s elaborate scam to be uncovered, as he actually won the jackpot by defrauding a lottery operator. Now, he is threatened to lose his home along with other assets while remaining incarcerated for nine years over the lottery fraud.

Back in 1993, Putman was sentenced to seven years in prison after he was found guilty of raping a 17-year-old pregnant girl. That prison sentence did not help rehabilitate the man as after going out of prison, he co-conspired to defraud a lottery operator by securing a jackpot with a forged ticket.

In 2019, Putman was sentenced to nine years in prison over the lottery scam and according to the Mirror, the Court may now repossess some if not all of his assets for his debt to be settled. Initially, he was ordered to pay back £940,000 ($1.2 million). However, Putman disagreed and wanted to challenge that decision, resulting in him paying only £100,000 ($125,100) out of the money he obtained via fraud. But now the tables have turned as the Court was greenlighted to take possession of Putman’s assets to resell them and put an end to the criminal case.

Defrauding the Lottery

The elaborate lottery scam dates back to 2009. At the time, Putman co-conspired with Giles Knibbs, who worked for Camelot, the operator that runs the National Lottery in the UK. Knibbs used to work as a part of the fraud detection team of the company. Using a fake winning ticket and collaborating with Knibbs, Putman was able to collect the multi-million-dollar jackpot.

It’s not unusual for such criminal co-conspirators to see their relationship deteriorate. This was precisely what happened between Knibbs and Putman. At some point, Knibbs thought that he didn’t receive the “fair share” of the lottery prize, considering the risk he had taken. Several years after the duo pulled off the scam, Knibbs eventually admitted to the crime before his family. However, it is likely that the crime had a significant psychological impact on the young man, considering that in 2015, he took his own life.

Knibbs’ suicide marked the downfall of Putman as well, considering that he left a note revealing details regarding the crime itself. Initially, the case didn’t lift off as there was not enough evidence. However, in 2017, the fraudulent ticket was uncovered which ultimately resulted in Putman’s sentence in 2019.

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A common saying goes that “lightning never strikes the same place twice” but not for a 31-year-old woman from Maryland who managed to win big twice within less than 12 hours.

Pink Is the Lucky Number

A nursing assistant and a mother of four, the woman who wished to remain anonymous and played under the name of Chicklet31, first cashed out $11,000 from Ocean Downs Casino she had visited after her late night shift.

Having left the casino at around 1am, she decided to buy a scratch card ticket from the Maryland Lottery the next day and visited a local convenience store located in her hometown of Princess Anne around noon, where she opted for a pink-colored Extreme Cash game ticket, which later won her the top $100,000 prize.

Speaking to the Maryland Lottery, the woman explained why she had bought that ticket and there was not a single drop of logic in it. “I just bought that scratch-off because it stood out to me and pink is my favorite color,” she stated.

She even joked that her luck was due to the same set of clothes she had been wearing in the casino and while purchasing the instant scratch card.

“‘Chicklet’ becomes the 60th top-prize winner in the $100,000 Extreme Cash scratch-off game and is the game’s third top-prize winner in the last two weeks,” Maryland Lottery officials stated, adding that the convenience store where the winning ticket was sold would receive a $1,000 bonus.

Chicklet is planning to use the unexpected windfall to visit her son who lives in China and to further her education so that she could advance in her professional career.

Other Recent Multiple Wins

The Maryland Lottery was involved with another double-win in the state scored by a 56-year-old Amazon employee from Baltimore who managed to win big twice within just two months.

In February, the lucky scratch card player won the top $50,000 prize available from the $5 scratch card game Crazy 8s, to boost his January winnings of $30,000 from the same $5 scratch card lottery game.

And while multiple wins in a row are rare but not unheard of, what did a Vietnam veteran of Fall River, 50 miles south of Boston, Massachusetts, would probably never happen again.

In December, the man decided to buy not one but six Lucky for Life tickets with the exact same combination of numbers, won a cash prize of $390,000 from each, and received nearly $2 million in one lump sum from five of the tickets while leaving one ticket to pay him $25,000 in twenty annual payments.

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