Powerball
- Thread starter Ludlow
- Start date
At $1.3 billion, Powerball jackpot is world's largest ever prize: official
Josh Funk, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Saturday, January 09, 2016 01:41 PM EST | Updated: Sunday, January 10, 2016 02:15 PM EST
OMAHA, Neb. -- Disappointed you didn't win the Powerball jackpot this weekend? Don't be.
Lottery officials say the estimated $1.3 billion prize is the world's largest. Ever.
No one matched all six Powerball numbers Saturday night, leading to the astronomical prize, which is all but certain to grow before the next drawing Wednesday as others buy tickets, said Kelly Cripe with the Texas Lottery.
The odds to win are one in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball. Cripe said 75 per cent of all 292.2 million combinations were bought before Saturday's drawing.
The jackpot has ballooned since its Nov. 4 starting point of $40 million.
The winning numbers -- 16-19-32-34-57 and Powerball number of 13 -- did gain some people a little wealth: 25 tickets won $1 million by matching five numbers, and three other tickets won $2 million because they paid extra to multiply smaller prizes.
The record jackpot lured an unprecedented frenzy of purchases. Anndrea Smith, 30, said Saturday that she already had spent more than she usually does on Powerball tickets.
"I bought four yesterday, and I usually never buy any," said Smith, manager of Bucky's gas station and convenience store in Omaha, Nebraska.
Powerball is played in 44 states as well as the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The next Powerball drawing is Wednesday.
At $1.3 billion, Powerball jackpot is world's largest ever prize: official | Wor
Josh Funk, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Saturday, January 09, 2016 01:41 PM EST | Updated: Sunday, January 10, 2016 02:15 PM EST
OMAHA, Neb. -- Disappointed you didn't win the Powerball jackpot this weekend? Don't be.
Lottery officials say the estimated $1.3 billion prize is the world's largest. Ever.
No one matched all six Powerball numbers Saturday night, leading to the astronomical prize, which is all but certain to grow before the next drawing Wednesday as others buy tickets, said Kelly Cripe with the Texas Lottery.
The odds to win are one in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball. Cripe said 75 per cent of all 292.2 million combinations were bought before Saturday's drawing.
The jackpot has ballooned since its Nov. 4 starting point of $40 million.
The winning numbers -- 16-19-32-34-57 and Powerball number of 13 -- did gain some people a little wealth: 25 tickets won $1 million by matching five numbers, and three other tickets won $2 million because they paid extra to multiply smaller prizes.
The record jackpot lured an unprecedented frenzy of purchases. Anndrea Smith, 30, said Saturday that she already had spent more than she usually does on Powerball tickets.
"I bought four yesterday, and I usually never buy any," said Smith, manager of Bucky's gas station and convenience store in Omaha, Nebraska.
Powerball is played in 44 states as well as the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The next Powerball drawing is Wednesday.
At $1.3 billion, Powerball jackpot is world's largest ever prize: official | Wor
$1.4-billion Powerball lottery: Ain’t greed grand?
By Mike Strobel, Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, January 11, 2016 07:11 PM EST | Updated: Monday, January 11, 2016 08:24 PM EST
TORONTO - Life’s funny, eh?
Look at David Bowie. He sang his heart out for 50 years, had countless hits, reinvented music, married a supermodel and left a $230-million estate when he died Monday, age 69.
On Wednesday, some tone-deaf peon may accumulate five times that wealth — quicker than you can say, “Ground control to Major Tom.”
America’s Powerball lottery prize went unclaimed on the weekend and has swelled to US$1.4 billion, the biggest jackpot in world history. That’s $1.9 billion Cdn.
It’s about what composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, richest man in music, is worth.
There’s a 293 million-to-one chance you’ll win Wednesday’s Powerball, which, come to think of it, is better than your odds of being Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Ground control to major greed.
(Editor’s note: Strobel, what are you, president of Gamblers Anonymous? We thought you were a libertarian.)
Fear not, dear avaricious boss.
Lotteries such as Powerball may turn placid citizens into drooling, grasping greedmeisters.
But that’s a good thing. Greed makes capitalism go ’round. It gets things done. It is what separates us from apes and Habs fans.
True, winning a big lottery contributes less to mankind than, say, revolutionizing pop music. Lotteries are a shortcut through such nuisances as school, training, hard work and sleeping with the boss. Luck is greed’s great equalizer.
Lotteries defy all logic and reason. They are even recession proof — ticket sales are unharmed by economic downturns.
But it’s the greedy thought that counts.
What a shame that greed gets a bad rap. Star athletes, politicians and CEOs are all decried as “greedy.” But, really, they want what we all want: Everything we can get our mitts on.
Alex Rodriguez, Pamela Wallin and Bill Gates are just better at it than most of us.
Christianity considers greed one of the seven deadly sins, though not among the Christians of Bay St.
A cynic might suggest lotteries combine greed with another of the deadly seven, sloth.
But that’s unfair. Pride is a big “sin,” too. But we revere pride — as we should admire greed.
Greed lights a fire under your ***, even if only to trot down to the corner store to buy tickets.
For Powerball, that’s a long trot, to the nearest border crossing. You can also get your ticket through a third-party website, but buyer beware.
There are complicated payout and tax hurdles, unlike Canadian lotteries. Still, even with the 30% levy on a foreign winner, you’d net more than $1 billion in Canadian currency.
The numbers are so unimaginable that Powerball digital signs can’t even show the true jackpot — they only go up to a measly $999 million.
If you win, good time. Opportunity just knocked — on the door of the Playboy Mansion. It’s for sale for $200 million and comes with 20,000 square feet, 29 rooms, five acres, a pool and a legendary grotto — and Hugh Hefner.
Hef stays. That’s the deal. If you buy the place, he might let you borrow his pyjamas.
Or you may wish to put your winnings elsewhere — after you’ve shown your gratitude to me for reminding you to get a ticket.
We’ll all be thankful if you pay down some of Ontario’s massive debt, or shave a third off this year’s deficit, but we won’t hold our breath. Give it to the Wynne Liberals?
You’re greedy, not stupid.
Strobel’s column usually runs Monday to Thursday. Hear him at 94.9 The Rock FM Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
mike.strobel@sunmedia.ca
$1.4-billion Powerball lottery: Ain’t greed grand? | Strobel | Toronto & GTA | N
Toronto bakery serving up U.S. Powerball tickets
By Shawn Jeffords, Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, January 11, 2016 09:03 PM EST | Updated: Monday, January 11, 2016 09:07 PM EST
TORONTO - Lisa Guluzian hopes that on Wednesday, she’ll be the baker giving away all the dough.
The operator of World Class Bakery, on St. Clair Ave. W., is getting in on the hype surrounding the record Powerball lottery jackpot in the U.S.
Over the next two days, the shop will being giving away up to 300 tickets for the $1.4-billion draw to customers who spend more than $20.
The promotion has already had people driving from across the city to pick up a little extra banana bread, Guluzian said.
“It’s just to cheer people up,” she said of the giveaway. “We’re in a recession, let’s forget about it for awhile.”
Guluzian said the shop, which has been in the neighbourhood for 15 years, did the same thing about a decade ago when the Powerball jackpot reached a mere $340 million. Customers had fun with it so the shop decided to buy some tickets in the U.S. and bring them back to give away.
“Everybody wants freedom,” added Guluzian. “It’s all about freedom. Everybody wants that dream. Until Wednesday at (10) p.m., everybody is going to dream that they’re the winner.”
Canadians can play the U.S. lottery but if they win, they’ll have to fork over a share of it to the taxman. Even knowing that, Raffaela Andreano, a regular at the bakery, scooped up a loaf of banana bread and a ticket Monday.
And just by chance, Andreano’s ticket happened to have her lucky numbers on it.
“I think it’s crazy,” she said of the massive jackpot. “I think it’s good, but it’s too much money. It would actually give me a heart attack if I won.”
But Andreano doesn’t have much trouble imagining what she’d do with the cash after she recovered from the shock.
“First, I’d spend some on myself,” she said. “Then I’d give to charities and help out some people — whoever needs the help.”
Customer Petee Chios said he thinks the promotion is all about spreading joy. He praised the bakery, which he dubbed his “retirement home,” as a great community business.
“She’s got a big heart,” he said of Guluzian. “You have to know her, she’s the best.”
Guluzian said she will hang on to a few tickets for friends and family but hopes that the winning ticket comes from her shop. But when asked if she’d sell her secret banana bread recipe for the $1.4-billion prize, she paused.
“I’d have to think about it,” she said, laughing. “Because it’s a real secret.”
shawn.jeffords@sunmedia.ca
Toronto bakery serving up U.S. Powerball tickets | Toronto & GTA | News | Toront
Can a Canadian win the Powerball? You sure can
Postmedia Network
First posted: Monday, January 11, 2016 01:26 PM EST | Updated: Monday, January 11, 2016 02:23 PM EST
So you want to cash in on Wednesday's US$1.4-billion Powerball jackpot, the world's biggest ever draw. Here's what you need to know:
Can I play the Powerball lottery, even though I'm Canadian?
You bet you can. No citizenship required to win.
How do I buy a ticket?
Take a drive. The only way to legally purchase a Powerball ticket is from a licenced retailer. So while you don't have to be American to win, you have to be in the U.S. to buy your ticket. There are online operators who claim to buy tickets on your behalf, but Powerball warns against these unregulated services.
What kind of tax can I expect to pay if I win?
A winner would have the option of being paid through annual payments over 29 years or opting for one smaller cash payment. Canada doesn't tax lottery jackpots (except as income -- so brace for it). The U.S., however, has a special tax just for gambling wins -- it's 25% for citizens, but 30% for us non-Americans. Also keep in mind that winning is a very big 'if.' The odds are one in 292.2 million.
So what does that leave me with?
Even with 30% knocked off, you'll still end up with $980 million over annual payments, so you're not likely going to starve. Also consider, with the dollar where it is right now, that actually amounts to about $1.4 billion in Canadian dollars. So if you think of it like that, it might cushion the blow.
Can a Canadian win the Powerball? You sure can | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, January 11, 2016 07:11 PM EST | Updated: Monday, January 11, 2016 08:24 PM EST
TORONTO - Life’s funny, eh?
Look at David Bowie. He sang his heart out for 50 years, had countless hits, reinvented music, married a supermodel and left a $230-million estate when he died Monday, age 69.
On Wednesday, some tone-deaf peon may accumulate five times that wealth — quicker than you can say, “Ground control to Major Tom.”
America’s Powerball lottery prize went unclaimed on the weekend and has swelled to US$1.4 billion, the biggest jackpot in world history. That’s $1.9 billion Cdn.
It’s about what composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, richest man in music, is worth.
There’s a 293 million-to-one chance you’ll win Wednesday’s Powerball, which, come to think of it, is better than your odds of being Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Ground control to major greed.
(Editor’s note: Strobel, what are you, president of Gamblers Anonymous? We thought you were a libertarian.)
Fear not, dear avaricious boss.
Lotteries such as Powerball may turn placid citizens into drooling, grasping greedmeisters.
But that’s a good thing. Greed makes capitalism go ’round. It gets things done. It is what separates us from apes and Habs fans.
True, winning a big lottery contributes less to mankind than, say, revolutionizing pop music. Lotteries are a shortcut through such nuisances as school, training, hard work and sleeping with the boss. Luck is greed’s great equalizer.
Lotteries defy all logic and reason. They are even recession proof — ticket sales are unharmed by economic downturns.
But it’s the greedy thought that counts.
What a shame that greed gets a bad rap. Star athletes, politicians and CEOs are all decried as “greedy.” But, really, they want what we all want: Everything we can get our mitts on.
Alex Rodriguez, Pamela Wallin and Bill Gates are just better at it than most of us.
Christianity considers greed one of the seven deadly sins, though not among the Christians of Bay St.
A cynic might suggest lotteries combine greed with another of the deadly seven, sloth.
But that’s unfair. Pride is a big “sin,” too. But we revere pride — as we should admire greed.
Greed lights a fire under your ***, even if only to trot down to the corner store to buy tickets.
For Powerball, that’s a long trot, to the nearest border crossing. You can also get your ticket through a third-party website, but buyer beware.
There are complicated payout and tax hurdles, unlike Canadian lotteries. Still, even with the 30% levy on a foreign winner, you’d net more than $1 billion in Canadian currency.
The numbers are so unimaginable that Powerball digital signs can’t even show the true jackpot — they only go up to a measly $999 million.
If you win, good time. Opportunity just knocked — on the door of the Playboy Mansion. It’s for sale for $200 million and comes with 20,000 square feet, 29 rooms, five acres, a pool and a legendary grotto — and Hugh Hefner.
Hef stays. That’s the deal. If you buy the place, he might let you borrow his pyjamas.
Or you may wish to put your winnings elsewhere — after you’ve shown your gratitude to me for reminding you to get a ticket.
We’ll all be thankful if you pay down some of Ontario’s massive debt, or shave a third off this year’s deficit, but we won’t hold our breath. Give it to the Wynne Liberals?
You’re greedy, not stupid.
Strobel’s column usually runs Monday to Thursday. Hear him at 94.9 The Rock FM Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
mike.strobel@sunmedia.ca
$1.4-billion Powerball lottery: Ain’t greed grand? | Strobel | Toronto & GTA | N
Toronto bakery serving up U.S. Powerball tickets
By Shawn Jeffords, Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, January 11, 2016 09:03 PM EST | Updated: Monday, January 11, 2016 09:07 PM EST
TORONTO - Lisa Guluzian hopes that on Wednesday, she’ll be the baker giving away all the dough.
The operator of World Class Bakery, on St. Clair Ave. W., is getting in on the hype surrounding the record Powerball lottery jackpot in the U.S.
Over the next two days, the shop will being giving away up to 300 tickets for the $1.4-billion draw to customers who spend more than $20.
The promotion has already had people driving from across the city to pick up a little extra banana bread, Guluzian said.
“It’s just to cheer people up,” she said of the giveaway. “We’re in a recession, let’s forget about it for awhile.”
Guluzian said the shop, which has been in the neighbourhood for 15 years, did the same thing about a decade ago when the Powerball jackpot reached a mere $340 million. Customers had fun with it so the shop decided to buy some tickets in the U.S. and bring them back to give away.
“Everybody wants freedom,” added Guluzian. “It’s all about freedom. Everybody wants that dream. Until Wednesday at (10) p.m., everybody is going to dream that they’re the winner.”
Canadians can play the U.S. lottery but if they win, they’ll have to fork over a share of it to the taxman. Even knowing that, Raffaela Andreano, a regular at the bakery, scooped up a loaf of banana bread and a ticket Monday.
And just by chance, Andreano’s ticket happened to have her lucky numbers on it.
“I think it’s crazy,” she said of the massive jackpot. “I think it’s good, but it’s too much money. It would actually give me a heart attack if I won.”
But Andreano doesn’t have much trouble imagining what she’d do with the cash after she recovered from the shock.
“First, I’d spend some on myself,” she said. “Then I’d give to charities and help out some people — whoever needs the help.”
Customer Petee Chios said he thinks the promotion is all about spreading joy. He praised the bakery, which he dubbed his “retirement home,” as a great community business.
“She’s got a big heart,” he said of Guluzian. “You have to know her, she’s the best.”
Guluzian said she will hang on to a few tickets for friends and family but hopes that the winning ticket comes from her shop. But when asked if she’d sell her secret banana bread recipe for the $1.4-billion prize, she paused.
“I’d have to think about it,” she said, laughing. “Because it’s a real secret.”
shawn.jeffords@sunmedia.ca
Toronto bakery serving up U.S. Powerball tickets | Toronto & GTA | News | Toront
Can a Canadian win the Powerball? You sure can
Postmedia Network
First posted: Monday, January 11, 2016 01:26 PM EST | Updated: Monday, January 11, 2016 02:23 PM EST
So you want to cash in on Wednesday's US$1.4-billion Powerball jackpot, the world's biggest ever draw. Here's what you need to know:
Can I play the Powerball lottery, even though I'm Canadian?
You bet you can. No citizenship required to win.
How do I buy a ticket?
Take a drive. The only way to legally purchase a Powerball ticket is from a licenced retailer. So while you don't have to be American to win, you have to be in the U.S. to buy your ticket. There are online operators who claim to buy tickets on your behalf, but Powerball warns against these unregulated services.
What kind of tax can I expect to pay if I win?
A winner would have the option of being paid through annual payments over 29 years or opting for one smaller cash payment. Canada doesn't tax lottery jackpots (except as income -- so brace for it). The U.S., however, has a special tax just for gambling wins -- it's 25% for citizens, but 30% for us non-Americans. Also keep in mind that winning is a very big 'if.' The odds are one in 292.2 million.
So what does that leave me with?
Even with 30% knocked off, you'll still end up with $980 million over annual payments, so you're not likely going to starve. Also consider, with the dollar where it is right now, that actually amounts to about $1.4 billion in Canadian dollars. So if you think of it like that, it might cushion the blow.
Can a Canadian win the Powerball? You sure can | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
Okay so the powerball is going to hit 1.4 Billion bucks. My daughter is convinced she is going to be the winner so after all is said and done, and she is greedy so she wants the cash option, how much is she going to pocket after taxes and all the other obligations are paid?
Powerball dreams, Canada? A U.S. law could get in the way
A little-known U.S. law is creating confusion for Canadians crossing the border to purchase tickets for the record Powerball lottery jackpot draw.
Like thousands of other Canadians, Lisa Yuen, a resident of Burnaby, B.C., headed across the border last week, to buy tickets ahead of the last Powerball draw held Saturday.
But Yuen was surprised when she received a strict warning from a U.S. border guard, about a law of which she'd never heard.
"We got a bit of a lecture from the border guard, saying that you can buy a ticket, but you can't take it back into Canada and then come back to the United States," she told CTV Vancouver.
U.S. law does not forbid foreigners from buying tickets or winning the lottery, and according to the Powerball website, "You do not have to be a citizen or a resident to play the game. You can be a tourist."
But if a Canadian buys a ticket, takes it home, and then tries to bring it back into the United States, they risk violating a law that forbids importing "immoral articles."
According to the law, "all persons are prohibited from importing into the United States from any foreign country any … lottery ticket, or any printed paper that may be used as a lottery ticket, or any advertisement of any lottery."
The same law also forbids importing material that advocates for or urges treason, or threatens to take the life of or inflict bodily harm upon any person in the U.S.
And though the lottery section of the rules may seem obscure, Yuen wasn't the first Canadian to run into the issue.
In December, U.S. border guards seized nine B.C. lottery tickets from a man trying to cross the border, and confiscated his Nexus card during the incident.
Ahead of the Powerball draw Wednesday, for a jackpot estimated to be at least US$1.4 billion, the rule is raising questions for lottery players and officials on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
"It is concerning," Jana Jones, the director of legal services at Washington's Lottery, said. "It appears the Washington border patrol is not allowing Canadians to bring (tickets) back in."
When asked if border officials would be able to seize a jackpot-winning ticket, she replied "It appears so."
Still, the law isn't stopping thousands of Canadians from trying their luck.
After buying $34 worth of tickets in her cross-border trip last week, Yuen said that, for her, the $1.4B jackpot is worth the risk.
"It's a chance I'm willing to take," she said.
source: Powerball dreams, Canada? Little-known U.S. border law could get in the way | CTV News
A little-known U.S. law is creating confusion for Canadians crossing the border to purchase tickets for the record Powerball lottery jackpot draw.
Like thousands of other Canadians, Lisa Yuen, a resident of Burnaby, B.C., headed across the border last week, to buy tickets ahead of the last Powerball draw held Saturday.
But Yuen was surprised when she received a strict warning from a U.S. border guard, about a law of which she'd never heard.
"We got a bit of a lecture from the border guard, saying that you can buy a ticket, but you can't take it back into Canada and then come back to the United States," she told CTV Vancouver.
U.S. law does not forbid foreigners from buying tickets or winning the lottery, and according to the Powerball website, "You do not have to be a citizen or a resident to play the game. You can be a tourist."
But if a Canadian buys a ticket, takes it home, and then tries to bring it back into the United States, they risk violating a law that forbids importing "immoral articles."
According to the law, "all persons are prohibited from importing into the United States from any foreign country any … lottery ticket, or any printed paper that may be used as a lottery ticket, or any advertisement of any lottery."
The same law also forbids importing material that advocates for or urges treason, or threatens to take the life of or inflict bodily harm upon any person in the U.S.
And though the lottery section of the rules may seem obscure, Yuen wasn't the first Canadian to run into the issue.
In December, U.S. border guards seized nine B.C. lottery tickets from a man trying to cross the border, and confiscated his Nexus card during the incident.
Ahead of the Powerball draw Wednesday, for a jackpot estimated to be at least US$1.4 billion, the rule is raising questions for lottery players and officials on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
"It is concerning," Jana Jones, the director of legal services at Washington's Lottery, said. "It appears the Washington border patrol is not allowing Canadians to bring (tickets) back in."
When asked if border officials would be able to seize a jackpot-winning ticket, she replied "It appears so."
Still, the law isn't stopping thousands of Canadians from trying their luck.
After buying $34 worth of tickets in her cross-border trip last week, Yuen said that, for her, the $1.4B jackpot is worth the risk.
"It's a chance I'm willing to take," she said.
source: Powerball dreams, Canada? Little-known U.S. border law could get in the way | CTV News
$1.5 billion will ruin your life.. what planet you from dude.
10 Islands You Can Buy If You Win The $500 Million Powerball Jackpot (Photos)
Guarantee with that kind of money, you can distance yourself quickly from all the numbers in the world..
Powerball promotion overwhelms Toronto bakery
Plans new batch of tickets Wednesday for the big draw
By Shawn Jeffords, Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 08:44 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 10:30 PM EST
TORONTO - A local bakery plans to restock its baked goods and tickets for a record US$1.5-billion Powerball draw after a giveaway cleaned it out of both Tuesday.
Lisa Guluzian, operator of World Class Bakery, at 690 St. Clair Ave. W., kicked off a promotion at her shop Monday, giving away a free ticket to the draw with every purchase of $20 or more.
By 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, she’d given away more than 200 tickets, exhausting her supply and emptying her pantry.
“I didn’t think it would be so overwhelming,” she said after the rush on Tuesday afternoon.
There was a lineup outside when she and her staff arrived at 7 a.m.
When they opened at 8 a.m., they could hardly keep up, she said.
“It was wall-to-wall people from far and wide,” she said. “Brampton, Burlington, King City.”
And many of the customers weren’t that fussy about what they were buying, so long as they got a ticket, she said.
“Coffee, baked goods, food,” she said. “My cake display is bare. There’s not even a crumb in there. I still have pies, but now I have to replenish for (Wednesday) morning.”
Guluzian said she intends to have 400 to 500 more tickets when she opens her doors Wednesday. The draw takes place just before 11 p.m.
“Everybody was happy,” she said of the atmosphere in the shop Tuesday. “Some people wanted more than one ticket, but we wanted to spread the cheer. Everybody wants that dream.”
And this might not be the last time World Class Bakery has a ticket giveaway. If there isn’t a winner Wednesday night, Guluzian plans to buy more tickets for the next draw.
“I hope someone in Toronto, in the GTA, wins,” she said. “I wish that someone who came to purchase a ticket wins.”
In the meantime, Guluzian says she has some baking to do.
“I’ve got to go and make some more banana bread and butter tarts.”
shawn.jeffords@sunmedia.ca
Powerball promotion overwhelms Toronto bakery | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto S
Quebec man buys $1,100 worth of Powerball tickets for 320 people in his town
Sidhartha Banerjee, THE CANADIAN PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 05:38 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 05:54 PM EST
CHAMPLAIN, United States -- If Lady Luck is on Robert Charbonneau's side in the US$1.5 billion Powerball lottery draw Wednesday night, he jokes that his Quebec hometown may have to close down.
The native of St-Donat left his home north of Montreal at 7 a.m. Tuesday and headed to a convenience store in upper New York state to buy US$1,100 worth of tickets on behalf of 320 people in his town.
"It (the jackpot) is a lot of money, it's crazy, we're all dreaming, it doesn't cost much to dream," Charbonneau said after purchasing what he hopes will be his ticket to financial freedom.
As the frenzy surrounding the record-setting lottery continued to grow, a steady stream of Canadians piled into U.S. border towns seeking to buy tickets.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, the Powerball jackpot had risen to an unprecedented US$1.5 billion (more than $2 billion Canadian) -- the largest windfall in U.S. lottery history.
There was no let-up on ticket demand during the two hours The Canadian Press spent just across the U.S. border in Champlain, N.Y., as would-be billionaires put aside the minuscule chance of winning the astronomical jackpot -- one in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs the game.
"All these people in line, there's your story," joked a U.S. border guard, pointing at the long lineup at the busy Lacolle border crossing.
Many first-time Powerball buyers were among the Canadian contingent. One man from Montreal-area Longueuil bought $200 worth of tickets for himself and work colleagues, but noted his travels would earn him a percentage of any winning combination.
Some of those not fully aware of how the Powerball works consulted with fellow Quebecers in line for advice. One considered going to buy a coffee at the adjoining doughnut shop before her compatriots reminded her the $2 caffeine fix could fetch her another ticket.
Darla Cordes, manager at the Valero gas station and convenience store in Champlain, said the lineups have been crazy since last Friday.
"About 90 per cent of my customers are from Canada," Cordes said in between serving customers as she estimated people are spending between $100 and $500.
Cordes said a Wednesday win would calm things down.
"But if nobody wins, it's going to be a zoo," she added.
At another shop, Montrealers Peter Stocola and Sam Lariccia painstakingly filled out Powerball numbers by hand.
"These are my dad's numbers, these are my grandfather's, I've got to play for my aunts, my uncles, friends," said Stocola, taking care of slip after slip using numbers jotted down on a scrap of paper.
Stocola and Lariccia were playing for a second week after losing out on US$950 million last Saturday.
The twice-weekly jackpot hasn't been won since Nov. 4.
"They are slim, we know," Stocola said of their chances. "It doesn't matter, we could be the one in the 292 million to win. We do the same thing back home -- our lottery is so small, but we play every week."
Charbonneau drove 212 kilometres, the dreams of about 320 friends riding on his shoulders.
There were some hiccups as tickets can only be purchased with debit or cash -- which left Charbonneau scrambling to get money out of the convenience store's ATM. Having already spent $1,073 on the group, he tacked on $27 worth of tickets bringing the full amount to US$1,100.
Even St-Donat's mayor got in on the hoopla, texting Charbonneau during the drive to ensure he was part of the gang.
What will Charbonneau do if he wins?
"Tabernak!" Charbonneau booms with a laugh. "We'll close the village down and we're all coming down here.
After spending the big bucks, Charbonneau set out for the two-hour drive home through a snowstorm, grabbing a can of beer for what he hopes will be massive celebration come Wednesday night.
"We'll do lots of things, we'll make a lot of people happy," he added.
Quebec man buys $1,100 worth of Powerball tickets for 320 people in his town | C
Powerball jackpot, the world's largest, grows to $1.5 billion on strong sales
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 04:03 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 04:11 PM EST
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The world's largest lottery jackpot has grown to $1.5 billion because of continuing strong Powerball ticket sales.
Lottery officials increased their estimate of the huge jackpot for the second day in a row Tuesday because of immense interest in the prize.
The record-breaking Powerball jackpot could grow yet more before Wednesday's drawing if ticket sales continue to exceed expectations. Officials reassess the jackpot estimate daily.
No one matched all six Powerball numbers Saturday night, leading to the current enormous prize.
The huge jackpot has forced many convenience stores to bring in extra clerks to keep lines moving, hoping that people wanting Powerball tickets will decide to also buy a snack or something else in the store.
"When the jackpots get big like this, it creates a frenzy," said Brian Johnson, vice-president of finance at Casey's General Stores, which runs 1,900 stores in 14 states.
QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh said the lottery crowd can really wear out clerks if the lines are constant, so the chain of more than 700 stores will have extra staff Wednesday.
He said QuikTrip stores have been busy for nearly two weeks since Powerball's jackpot first climbed into ridiculous levels.
"It's been fun, but somebody needs to win," Thornbrugh said.
The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are one in 292.2 million.
The $1.5 billion prize would be paid in annual payments over 29 years. Or the winner could opt for a lump-sum payment of $930 million.
Whoever wins will have to pay 39.6 per cent of the prize in federal income taxes, and any state taxes. Lottery officials expect at least 80 per cent of the 292.2 million number combinations will be purchased before Wednesday's drawing. That increases the chances -- but doesn't guarantee -- that someone will win the jackpot.
Powerball jackpot, the world's largest, grows to $1.5 billion on strong sales |
Americans crossing deserts, waiting for hours to get Powerball tickets
Scott McFetridge And Ken Ritter, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 01:36 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 01:46 AM EST
NIPTON, Calif. -- Lottery ticket buyers have to suspend their belief in math to drop US$2 on an infinitesimal chance to win the Powerball jackpot, but in Nevada, they also have to drive across the desert and wait in lines that can stretch for hours.
In Hawaii and Alaska, they need to cross an ocean or mountains to reach a lottery kiosk.
As if the 1 in 292.2 million odds of winning weren't inconvenient enough, people who live in the six states that don't participate in Powerball must put in considerable extra effort to get a ticket.
With the giant jackpot on his mind, retiree William Burke drove 45 minutes Monday from his home in Henderson, Nevada, to buy tickets in Nipton, California. Then he waited three hours to spend $20 on 10 tickets at a store that is among the nation's busiest lottery retailers.
"I thought maybe I'd be part of history," said Burke, a Vietnam veteran who joined hundreds of people bundled in coats and scarfs before the doors opened at the Primm Valley Lotto Store off Interstate 15.
None of the six states has a lottery of any kind.
Religious beliefs have posed a barrier in Alabama, Mississippi and Utah. Alaska has been more concerned that a lottery wouldn't pay off in such a sparsely populated state. In Hawaii, lawmakers have proposed lottery measures, but the idea always fails. And in Nevada, the lottery snub is largely a nod to the state's casinos, which have no interest in the competition.
The Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball, reports that some of the biggest ticket sales come from border cities. That means residents of one state are driving to another to play Powerball, then probably spending a bit more on gas, soda or doughnuts.
"What that means for policymakers, that's their business," said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery. "I'm sure they're watching those dollars flow out of their state."
In Alabama, people have been talking about instituting a lottery for years, in part because of sales in border states. Faced with tight state budgets and demands from voters, Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday introduced rival lottery bills for the legislative session that begins in February.
Republican state Sen. Jim McClendon, one of the bill sponsors, said he was considering the idea long before this month's Powerball mania. The jackpot offers "fortuitous" timing, he said, and highlights the huge number of Alabama residents who are buying tickets elsewhere.
The people who are driving to surrounding states for tickets "cannot understand why Alabama doesn't offer what 44 other states in America offer."
Mississippi state Rep. Alyce Clarke, a Democrat from Jackson, has repeatedly sponsored a lottery bill, but she said religious opposition always kills the idea. That could change this year because of Powerball, she explained, enabling the state to raise money to subsidize colleges or fix roads and bridges.
Other states seem less likely to adopt lotteries.
In Utah, people have been crowding gas stations to buy tickets along the border with Wyoming and Idaho, but the state constitution bans all forms of gambling. Given that most legislators belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opposes gambling, a change in the constitution is unlikely.
Alaska has seen only minimal interest in creating a lottery. The state Revenue Department has studied the option as a way to ease a budget deficit, but neither the governor nor legislators has made a formal proposal.
An agency report found that given Alaska's vast land area and small population, a lottery would probably not generate as much money as in other states. And games such as Powerball could hurt state-regulated charitable gambling, which supports numerous nonprofits.
Alaska's stand was still puzzling to Stacy Castle, a baker at Alaska Coffee Roasting Company in Fairbanks.
"I honestly don't know why we don't have one," said Castle, explaining that she has friends in Oregon who are buying her Powerball tickets this week. "I've lived here for 20 years. It should be a choice for people in the state."
Americans crossing deserts, waiting for hours to get Powerball tickets | World |
Plans new batch of tickets Wednesday for the big draw
By Shawn Jeffords, Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 08:44 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 10:30 PM EST
TORONTO - A local bakery plans to restock its baked goods and tickets for a record US$1.5-billion Powerball draw after a giveaway cleaned it out of both Tuesday.
Lisa Guluzian, operator of World Class Bakery, at 690 St. Clair Ave. W., kicked off a promotion at her shop Monday, giving away a free ticket to the draw with every purchase of $20 or more.
By 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, she’d given away more than 200 tickets, exhausting her supply and emptying her pantry.
“I didn’t think it would be so overwhelming,” she said after the rush on Tuesday afternoon.
There was a lineup outside when she and her staff arrived at 7 a.m.
When they opened at 8 a.m., they could hardly keep up, she said.
“It was wall-to-wall people from far and wide,” she said. “Brampton, Burlington, King City.”
And many of the customers weren’t that fussy about what they were buying, so long as they got a ticket, she said.
“Coffee, baked goods, food,” she said. “My cake display is bare. There’s not even a crumb in there. I still have pies, but now I have to replenish for (Wednesday) morning.”
Guluzian said she intends to have 400 to 500 more tickets when she opens her doors Wednesday. The draw takes place just before 11 p.m.
“Everybody was happy,” she said of the atmosphere in the shop Tuesday. “Some people wanted more than one ticket, but we wanted to spread the cheer. Everybody wants that dream.”
And this might not be the last time World Class Bakery has a ticket giveaway. If there isn’t a winner Wednesday night, Guluzian plans to buy more tickets for the next draw.
“I hope someone in Toronto, in the GTA, wins,” she said. “I wish that someone who came to purchase a ticket wins.”
In the meantime, Guluzian says she has some baking to do.
“I’ve got to go and make some more banana bread and butter tarts.”
shawn.jeffords@sunmedia.ca
Powerball promotion overwhelms Toronto bakery | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto S
Quebec man buys $1,100 worth of Powerball tickets for 320 people in his town
Sidhartha Banerjee, THE CANADIAN PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 05:38 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 05:54 PM EST
CHAMPLAIN, United States -- If Lady Luck is on Robert Charbonneau's side in the US$1.5 billion Powerball lottery draw Wednesday night, he jokes that his Quebec hometown may have to close down.
The native of St-Donat left his home north of Montreal at 7 a.m. Tuesday and headed to a convenience store in upper New York state to buy US$1,100 worth of tickets on behalf of 320 people in his town.
"It (the jackpot) is a lot of money, it's crazy, we're all dreaming, it doesn't cost much to dream," Charbonneau said after purchasing what he hopes will be his ticket to financial freedom.
As the frenzy surrounding the record-setting lottery continued to grow, a steady stream of Canadians piled into U.S. border towns seeking to buy tickets.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, the Powerball jackpot had risen to an unprecedented US$1.5 billion (more than $2 billion Canadian) -- the largest windfall in U.S. lottery history.
There was no let-up on ticket demand during the two hours The Canadian Press spent just across the U.S. border in Champlain, N.Y., as would-be billionaires put aside the minuscule chance of winning the astronomical jackpot -- one in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs the game.
"All these people in line, there's your story," joked a U.S. border guard, pointing at the long lineup at the busy Lacolle border crossing.
Many first-time Powerball buyers were among the Canadian contingent. One man from Montreal-area Longueuil bought $200 worth of tickets for himself and work colleagues, but noted his travels would earn him a percentage of any winning combination.
Some of those not fully aware of how the Powerball works consulted with fellow Quebecers in line for advice. One considered going to buy a coffee at the adjoining doughnut shop before her compatriots reminded her the $2 caffeine fix could fetch her another ticket.
Darla Cordes, manager at the Valero gas station and convenience store in Champlain, said the lineups have been crazy since last Friday.
"About 90 per cent of my customers are from Canada," Cordes said in between serving customers as she estimated people are spending between $100 and $500.
Cordes said a Wednesday win would calm things down.
"But if nobody wins, it's going to be a zoo," she added.
At another shop, Montrealers Peter Stocola and Sam Lariccia painstakingly filled out Powerball numbers by hand.
"These are my dad's numbers, these are my grandfather's, I've got to play for my aunts, my uncles, friends," said Stocola, taking care of slip after slip using numbers jotted down on a scrap of paper.
Stocola and Lariccia were playing for a second week after losing out on US$950 million last Saturday.
The twice-weekly jackpot hasn't been won since Nov. 4.
"They are slim, we know," Stocola said of their chances. "It doesn't matter, we could be the one in the 292 million to win. We do the same thing back home -- our lottery is so small, but we play every week."
Charbonneau drove 212 kilometres, the dreams of about 320 friends riding on his shoulders.
There were some hiccups as tickets can only be purchased with debit or cash -- which left Charbonneau scrambling to get money out of the convenience store's ATM. Having already spent $1,073 on the group, he tacked on $27 worth of tickets bringing the full amount to US$1,100.
Even St-Donat's mayor got in on the hoopla, texting Charbonneau during the drive to ensure he was part of the gang.
What will Charbonneau do if he wins?
"Tabernak!" Charbonneau booms with a laugh. "We'll close the village down and we're all coming down here.
After spending the big bucks, Charbonneau set out for the two-hour drive home through a snowstorm, grabbing a can of beer for what he hopes will be massive celebration come Wednesday night.
"We'll do lots of things, we'll make a lot of people happy," he added.
Quebec man buys $1,100 worth of Powerball tickets for 320 people in his town | C
Powerball jackpot, the world's largest, grows to $1.5 billion on strong sales
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 04:03 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 04:11 PM EST
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The world's largest lottery jackpot has grown to $1.5 billion because of continuing strong Powerball ticket sales.
Lottery officials increased their estimate of the huge jackpot for the second day in a row Tuesday because of immense interest in the prize.
The record-breaking Powerball jackpot could grow yet more before Wednesday's drawing if ticket sales continue to exceed expectations. Officials reassess the jackpot estimate daily.
No one matched all six Powerball numbers Saturday night, leading to the current enormous prize.
The huge jackpot has forced many convenience stores to bring in extra clerks to keep lines moving, hoping that people wanting Powerball tickets will decide to also buy a snack or something else in the store.
"When the jackpots get big like this, it creates a frenzy," said Brian Johnson, vice-president of finance at Casey's General Stores, which runs 1,900 stores in 14 states.
QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh said the lottery crowd can really wear out clerks if the lines are constant, so the chain of more than 700 stores will have extra staff Wednesday.
He said QuikTrip stores have been busy for nearly two weeks since Powerball's jackpot first climbed into ridiculous levels.
"It's been fun, but somebody needs to win," Thornbrugh said.
The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are one in 292.2 million.
The $1.5 billion prize would be paid in annual payments over 29 years. Or the winner could opt for a lump-sum payment of $930 million.
Whoever wins will have to pay 39.6 per cent of the prize in federal income taxes, and any state taxes. Lottery officials expect at least 80 per cent of the 292.2 million number combinations will be purchased before Wednesday's drawing. That increases the chances -- but doesn't guarantee -- that someone will win the jackpot.
Powerball jackpot, the world's largest, grows to $1.5 billion on strong sales |
Americans crossing deserts, waiting for hours to get Powerball tickets
Scott McFetridge And Ken Ritter, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 01:36 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 01:46 AM EST
NIPTON, Calif. -- Lottery ticket buyers have to suspend their belief in math to drop US$2 on an infinitesimal chance to win the Powerball jackpot, but in Nevada, they also have to drive across the desert and wait in lines that can stretch for hours.
In Hawaii and Alaska, they need to cross an ocean or mountains to reach a lottery kiosk.
As if the 1 in 292.2 million odds of winning weren't inconvenient enough, people who live in the six states that don't participate in Powerball must put in considerable extra effort to get a ticket.
With the giant jackpot on his mind, retiree William Burke drove 45 minutes Monday from his home in Henderson, Nevada, to buy tickets in Nipton, California. Then he waited three hours to spend $20 on 10 tickets at a store that is among the nation's busiest lottery retailers.
"I thought maybe I'd be part of history," said Burke, a Vietnam veteran who joined hundreds of people bundled in coats and scarfs before the doors opened at the Primm Valley Lotto Store off Interstate 15.
None of the six states has a lottery of any kind.
Religious beliefs have posed a barrier in Alabama, Mississippi and Utah. Alaska has been more concerned that a lottery wouldn't pay off in such a sparsely populated state. In Hawaii, lawmakers have proposed lottery measures, but the idea always fails. And in Nevada, the lottery snub is largely a nod to the state's casinos, which have no interest in the competition.
The Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball, reports that some of the biggest ticket sales come from border cities. That means residents of one state are driving to another to play Powerball, then probably spending a bit more on gas, soda or doughnuts.
"What that means for policymakers, that's their business," said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery. "I'm sure they're watching those dollars flow out of their state."
In Alabama, people have been talking about instituting a lottery for years, in part because of sales in border states. Faced with tight state budgets and demands from voters, Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday introduced rival lottery bills for the legislative session that begins in February.
Republican state Sen. Jim McClendon, one of the bill sponsors, said he was considering the idea long before this month's Powerball mania. The jackpot offers "fortuitous" timing, he said, and highlights the huge number of Alabama residents who are buying tickets elsewhere.
The people who are driving to surrounding states for tickets "cannot understand why Alabama doesn't offer what 44 other states in America offer."
Mississippi state Rep. Alyce Clarke, a Democrat from Jackson, has repeatedly sponsored a lottery bill, but she said religious opposition always kills the idea. That could change this year because of Powerball, she explained, enabling the state to raise money to subsidize colleges or fix roads and bridges.
Other states seem less likely to adopt lotteries.
In Utah, people have been crowding gas stations to buy tickets along the border with Wyoming and Idaho, but the state constitution bans all forms of gambling. Given that most legislators belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opposes gambling, a change in the constitution is unlikely.
Alaska has seen only minimal interest in creating a lottery. The state Revenue Department has studied the option as a way to ease a budget deficit, but neither the governor nor legislators has made a formal proposal.
An agency report found that given Alaska's vast land area and small population, a lottery would probably not generate as much money as in other states. And games such as Powerball could hurt state-regulated charitable gambling, which supports numerous nonprofits.
Alaska's stand was still puzzling to Stacy Castle, a baker at Alaska Coffee Roasting Company in Fairbanks.
"I honestly don't know why we don't have one," said Castle, explaining that she has friends in Oregon who are buying her Powerball tickets this week. "I've lived here for 20 years. It should be a choice for people in the state."
Americans crossing deserts, waiting for hours to get Powerball tickets | World |
I'm recalling a line in the movie The Greatest Story ever Told. The wealthy young man asks the Rabbi, Is it wrong to be rich? The Rabbi reply's , not at all. but it may become a burden. I can see that. But a cabin on the lake would be a nice burden to have.
Powerball dough draws crowds to Toronto bakery
By Kevin Connor, Toronto Sun
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 07:21 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 08:03 PM EST
TORONTO - They were lined up early Wednesday for banana bread — and a chance to win $1.5 billion.
Hours before the Powerball lottery draw, hundreds were lined up outside World Class Bakers on St. Clair Ave. W. to try to pick up a ticket for the U.S. lottery.
Any customer spending more than $20 was given a free Powerball ticket — the bakery gave away 200 tickets on Tuesday and 1,000 tickets on Wednesday.
After enduring the bitter cold, getting a $30 parking ticket and spending $28 to buy two banana loaves, Andy MacLean managed to get a Powerball ticket.
“If I won it will be worth it, but I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with it all. I would have fun figuring it out,” MacLean said.
When the first 200 Powerball tickets went like hotcakes, bakery manager Suzanne King shuffled off to Buffalo Tuesday evening to buy 1,000 more $2 tickets.
“Everyone is excited. People waiting in line are making friends and talking about their dreams,” King said.
The bakery appears to have hit the jackpot with the promotion.
King confirmed that Wednesday will be the biggest day in sales for the bakery — somewhere around $20,000.
But it wasn’t without some trouble.
Just before the lunch hour, a man threw a projectile through the bakery’s window.
Police on hand for crowd control made an immediate arrest and said there were no injuries.
Wendy Boardman drove in from Newmarket to get a ticket.
“I figured it would be easier than going to Buffalo and this is a fun lineup. It’s sort of like when I used to line up for concert tickets,” Boardman said.
Jason Cantin changes tires on cars for a living and said if he won, he would send his current truck over the Scarborough Bluffs and get a new one.
“I’d want to help people if I won, but I was also looking on Google at the most expensive houses in the States and I saw this beautiful mansion in Maine I would like,” Cantin said.
kevin.connor@sunmedia.ca
Powerball dough draws crowds to Toronto bakery | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto
Canadians flock to U.S. border towns in Powerball frenzy
Reuters
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 04:26 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 04:41 PM EST
TORONTO - Canadians joined the U.S. frenzy for the Powerball lottery jackpot on Wednesday, crossing the border to buy tickets in droves and lining up outside one Toronto bakery where tickets are being given away for a long shot at the $1.5 billion payout.
The Powerball jackpot has been growing ever since the last winner was drawn in November and is now the largest-ever U.S. lottery prize as well as the world's biggest potential jackpot for a single winner.
"There are a lot of them coming over, a lot of them in the lineup," said Jim Murphy, an employee at the Wedge Discount Liquor Store in Niagara Falls, New York.
Murphy said most of the customers openly admit they are Canadian, while he could identify others by their vehicle license plates.
It is legal for tourists and non-U.S. residents to play the U.S. lottery.
A Canadian winner who does not live in the United States would be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, plus possible state taxes. They would not face additional Canadian taxes.
A Canadian jackpot winner could expect to take home about $1.5 billion (US$1.05 billion) after taxes, though winnings are reduced if the money is taken in a lump sum.
Canadians have surged across the border to play the lottery while others implored U.S. friends to buy a ticket for them, local media reported.
U.S. comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert joked that there will be consequences if a Canadian wins the Powerball.
"Because I promise you, if one of you moose-munching ice holes wins America's billion-dollar Powerball, Donald J. Trump will be elected president of the United States," he said on "The Late Show."
In Toronto, people lined up outside the World Class Bakery, which was giving away Powerball tickets to customers who spend at least $20 (US$14).
The bakery's promotion, in its fourth day, drew hundreds of customers and forced management to drive to Buffalo, New York, late on Tuesday to buy more tickets, owner Lisa Guluzian told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
"We've decided the baker's going to give away the dough," Guluzian told the public broadcaster. "I hope that someone from this group wins. We're going to take it all away from the Americans."
The Powerball lottery drawing will be held on Wednesday, and its payout is expected to increase due to strong ticket sales.
If no one holds the winning numbers, the jackpot will be rolled over for Saturday's drawing, pushing the annuitized prize to an estimated US$2 billion, with a cash value of US$1.24 billion, said Kelly Cripe, spokeswoman for the lottery in Texas, one of the participating states.
($1 = 1.4276 Canadian dollars)
Canadians flock to U.S. border towns in Powerball frenzy | Canada | News | Toron
Lottery misfortunes: Careful what you wish for Powerballers
Postmedia Network
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 07:26 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 07:43 PM EST
Winning the Powerball would seemingly set you up for the rest of your life, right? You'd think so. But there have been plenty of lottery winners who somehow managed to lose it all through recklessness and greed. Here are a few cautionary tales for those of you with lottery dreams.
Sharon Tirabassi, Hamilton, Ont.
She won $10.5 million in Lotto Super 7 in 2004 and thought she had it made.
By 2013, she was on the bus to her part-time job so she could pay the rent and feed the kids.
For nine years, she spent lavishly on herself, throwing parties, buying cars and clothes, and going on trips.
Then one day she noticed her account was running dry.
"You don't think it'll go (at the time), right?" Tirabassi told the Hamilton Spectator.
Laura and Roger Griffiths, West Yorkshire, Britain
They won $3.7 million in 2005. Before that, they said they hardly ever argued. Six years later, they'd split up amidst accusations of cheating. Their separation was laid bare in British tabs, where they took turns bashing each other for spending away their fortune. A fire also gutted their new $1.5-million house. Every penny was gone.
Billie Bob Harrell Jr., Texas
The story of lotto winner Billie Bob Harrell Jr. is an exceptionally sad one.
The 47-year-old Home Depot worker in Texas was nearly broke and struggling to support his wife and three kids when he won US$31 million in 1997. He quit his job, took his family on a Hawaiian vacation, donated to his church, bought cars and a house and donated more to charity. But he spent more than he meant to and the money led to friction in his family. In May 1999, he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot after telling his financial adviser: "Winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me."
Lucien Nault, Montreal
He won $16.9 million playing Lotto 6-49 in 2009 and vowed to "spoil his family" with the cash. He quickly lost his marriage. Then his son sued, livid about his father's generous handouts to neighbours. His son's wife then died in the pool he'd built with his cut of his dad's winnings. Then the curse continued when Nault's son was killed by a passing car when he went to chase his dog onto the road.
Callie Rogers, Cumbria, Britain
At 16, Callie Rogers became Britain's youngest lottery winner when she hit the $3.9-million jackpot in 2003. She bought four homes, had two breast augmentations and bought cars, including one for her boyfriend so he could drive her around -- she didn't have her licence yet. She also partied. That led to a cocaine addiction that snorted up more of her fortune. Before long, she'd spent it all. After selling her homes and taking a job as a maid, she says she's back on her feet again. "Even if you say your life won't change, it does -- and often not for the better. It nearly broke me, but thankfully, I'm now stronger," Rogers told the U.K. Daily Mail in 2013.
Lottery misfortunes: Careful what you wish for Powerballers | World | News | Tor
Winning US$1.5B Powerball ticket sold in California
Lottery says 1 winner in Los Angeles suburb
Victoria Cavaliere, Reuters
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 11:13 PM EST | Updated: Thursday, January 14, 2016 01:18 AM EST
LOS ANGELES - At least one unidentified person in California won the massive US$1.59-billion Powerball lottery on Wednesday, officials said after drawing the winning numbers for the world's largest potential jackpot for a single player.
The winning ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Chino Hills, a suburb east of Los Angeles, California Lottery officials said. No other states have reported selling a winning ticket for the $1.586-billion prize.
Crowds descended on the store after word emerged where the winning ticket had been bought, to snap pictures and congratulate the clerk. The store will receive a $1-million bonus for selling the ticket.
The six winning numbers were 08, 27, 34, 04, 19 and Powerball 10. They were picked during a late Wednesday drawing at lottery offices in Tallahassee, Florida.
The payout is worth about $930 million if a winner chooses an immediate cash payout instead of annual payments over 29 years, the Multi-State Lottery Association says. Powerball is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C. and two U.S. territories.
The odds of picking a winning combination were 1 in 292 million.
The prospect of becoming North America's newest billionaire sparked a ticket-buying frenzy that was expected to reach a rate of $1.3 million per minute during the evening commuter rush hour, Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas lottery, told a news conference.
Powerball sales were "exponentially higher" than normal, Grief said. Since the jackpot was last hit on Nov. 4, 2015, a total of $2.65 billion worth of Powerball tickets has been sold, he added.
The prospect of becoming an instant billionaire spurred ticket-buyers to imagine an affluent future.
"If I win, I'll give it all away to poor people," said New York restaurant deliveryman Osman Gamie, 43, after buying a dozen of the $2 tickets at a midtown Manhattan grocery.
Tatiann Cave, a 23-year-old home health aide, said she would use the jackpot to start her own cosmetics business.
"I'd like to quit my job and do something inspiring," Cave said.
For every $1 worth of Powerball sales, half goes to prizes, 40% to causes such as education, and 10% to retailers who sell the tickets and other administrative costs, Grief said.
Winning US$1.5B Powerball ticket sold in California | World | News | Toronto Sun
By Kevin Connor, Toronto Sun
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 07:21 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 08:03 PM EST
TORONTO - They were lined up early Wednesday for banana bread — and a chance to win $1.5 billion.
Hours before the Powerball lottery draw, hundreds were lined up outside World Class Bakers on St. Clair Ave. W. to try to pick up a ticket for the U.S. lottery.
Any customer spending more than $20 was given a free Powerball ticket — the bakery gave away 200 tickets on Tuesday and 1,000 tickets on Wednesday.
After enduring the bitter cold, getting a $30 parking ticket and spending $28 to buy two banana loaves, Andy MacLean managed to get a Powerball ticket.
“If I won it will be worth it, but I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with it all. I would have fun figuring it out,” MacLean said.
When the first 200 Powerball tickets went like hotcakes, bakery manager Suzanne King shuffled off to Buffalo Tuesday evening to buy 1,000 more $2 tickets.
“Everyone is excited. People waiting in line are making friends and talking about their dreams,” King said.
The bakery appears to have hit the jackpot with the promotion.
King confirmed that Wednesday will be the biggest day in sales for the bakery — somewhere around $20,000.
But it wasn’t without some trouble.
Just before the lunch hour, a man threw a projectile through the bakery’s window.
Police on hand for crowd control made an immediate arrest and said there were no injuries.
Wendy Boardman drove in from Newmarket to get a ticket.
“I figured it would be easier than going to Buffalo and this is a fun lineup. It’s sort of like when I used to line up for concert tickets,” Boardman said.
Jason Cantin changes tires on cars for a living and said if he won, he would send his current truck over the Scarborough Bluffs and get a new one.
“I’d want to help people if I won, but I was also looking on Google at the most expensive houses in the States and I saw this beautiful mansion in Maine I would like,” Cantin said.
kevin.connor@sunmedia.ca
Powerball dough draws crowds to Toronto bakery | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto
Canadians flock to U.S. border towns in Powerball frenzy
Reuters
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 04:26 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 04:41 PM EST
TORONTO - Canadians joined the U.S. frenzy for the Powerball lottery jackpot on Wednesday, crossing the border to buy tickets in droves and lining up outside one Toronto bakery where tickets are being given away for a long shot at the $1.5 billion payout.
The Powerball jackpot has been growing ever since the last winner was drawn in November and is now the largest-ever U.S. lottery prize as well as the world's biggest potential jackpot for a single winner.
"There are a lot of them coming over, a lot of them in the lineup," said Jim Murphy, an employee at the Wedge Discount Liquor Store in Niagara Falls, New York.
Murphy said most of the customers openly admit they are Canadian, while he could identify others by their vehicle license plates.
It is legal for tourists and non-U.S. residents to play the U.S. lottery.
A Canadian winner who does not live in the United States would be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, plus possible state taxes. They would not face additional Canadian taxes.
A Canadian jackpot winner could expect to take home about $1.5 billion (US$1.05 billion) after taxes, though winnings are reduced if the money is taken in a lump sum.
Canadians have surged across the border to play the lottery while others implored U.S. friends to buy a ticket for them, local media reported.
U.S. comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert joked that there will be consequences if a Canadian wins the Powerball.
"Because I promise you, if one of you moose-munching ice holes wins America's billion-dollar Powerball, Donald J. Trump will be elected president of the United States," he said on "The Late Show."
In Toronto, people lined up outside the World Class Bakery, which was giving away Powerball tickets to customers who spend at least $20 (US$14).
The bakery's promotion, in its fourth day, drew hundreds of customers and forced management to drive to Buffalo, New York, late on Tuesday to buy more tickets, owner Lisa Guluzian told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
"We've decided the baker's going to give away the dough," Guluzian told the public broadcaster. "I hope that someone from this group wins. We're going to take it all away from the Americans."
The Powerball lottery drawing will be held on Wednesday, and its payout is expected to increase due to strong ticket sales.
If no one holds the winning numbers, the jackpot will be rolled over for Saturday's drawing, pushing the annuitized prize to an estimated US$2 billion, with a cash value of US$1.24 billion, said Kelly Cripe, spokeswoman for the lottery in Texas, one of the participating states.
($1 = 1.4276 Canadian dollars)
Canadians flock to U.S. border towns in Powerball frenzy | Canada | News | Toron
Lottery misfortunes: Careful what you wish for Powerballers
Postmedia Network
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 07:26 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 07:43 PM EST
Winning the Powerball would seemingly set you up for the rest of your life, right? You'd think so. But there have been plenty of lottery winners who somehow managed to lose it all through recklessness and greed. Here are a few cautionary tales for those of you with lottery dreams.
Sharon Tirabassi, Hamilton, Ont.
She won $10.5 million in Lotto Super 7 in 2004 and thought she had it made.
By 2013, she was on the bus to her part-time job so she could pay the rent and feed the kids.
For nine years, she spent lavishly on herself, throwing parties, buying cars and clothes, and going on trips.
Then one day she noticed her account was running dry.
"You don't think it'll go (at the time), right?" Tirabassi told the Hamilton Spectator.
Laura and Roger Griffiths, West Yorkshire, Britain
They won $3.7 million in 2005. Before that, they said they hardly ever argued. Six years later, they'd split up amidst accusations of cheating. Their separation was laid bare in British tabs, where they took turns bashing each other for spending away their fortune. A fire also gutted their new $1.5-million house. Every penny was gone.
Billie Bob Harrell Jr., Texas
The story of lotto winner Billie Bob Harrell Jr. is an exceptionally sad one.
The 47-year-old Home Depot worker in Texas was nearly broke and struggling to support his wife and three kids when he won US$31 million in 1997. He quit his job, took his family on a Hawaiian vacation, donated to his church, bought cars and a house and donated more to charity. But he spent more than he meant to and the money led to friction in his family. In May 1999, he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot after telling his financial adviser: "Winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me."
Lucien Nault, Montreal
He won $16.9 million playing Lotto 6-49 in 2009 and vowed to "spoil his family" with the cash. He quickly lost his marriage. Then his son sued, livid about his father's generous handouts to neighbours. His son's wife then died in the pool he'd built with his cut of his dad's winnings. Then the curse continued when Nault's son was killed by a passing car when he went to chase his dog onto the road.
Callie Rogers, Cumbria, Britain
At 16, Callie Rogers became Britain's youngest lottery winner when she hit the $3.9-million jackpot in 2003. She bought four homes, had two breast augmentations and bought cars, including one for her boyfriend so he could drive her around -- she didn't have her licence yet. She also partied. That led to a cocaine addiction that snorted up more of her fortune. Before long, she'd spent it all. After selling her homes and taking a job as a maid, she says she's back on her feet again. "Even if you say your life won't change, it does -- and often not for the better. It nearly broke me, but thankfully, I'm now stronger," Rogers told the U.K. Daily Mail in 2013.
Lottery misfortunes: Careful what you wish for Powerballers | World | News | Tor
Winning US$1.5B Powerball ticket sold in California
Lottery says 1 winner in Los Angeles suburb
Victoria Cavaliere, Reuters
First posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 11:13 PM EST | Updated: Thursday, January 14, 2016 01:18 AM EST
LOS ANGELES - At least one unidentified person in California won the massive US$1.59-billion Powerball lottery on Wednesday, officials said after drawing the winning numbers for the world's largest potential jackpot for a single player.
The winning ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Chino Hills, a suburb east of Los Angeles, California Lottery officials said. No other states have reported selling a winning ticket for the $1.586-billion prize.
Crowds descended on the store after word emerged where the winning ticket had been bought, to snap pictures and congratulate the clerk. The store will receive a $1-million bonus for selling the ticket.
The six winning numbers were 08, 27, 34, 04, 19 and Powerball 10. They were picked during a late Wednesday drawing at lottery offices in Tallahassee, Florida.
The payout is worth about $930 million if a winner chooses an immediate cash payout instead of annual payments over 29 years, the Multi-State Lottery Association says. Powerball is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C. and two U.S. territories.
The odds of picking a winning combination were 1 in 292 million.
The prospect of becoming North America's newest billionaire sparked a ticket-buying frenzy that was expected to reach a rate of $1.3 million per minute during the evening commuter rush hour, Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas lottery, told a news conference.
Powerball sales were "exponentially higher" than normal, Grief said. Since the jackpot was last hit on Nov. 4, 2015, a total of $2.65 billion worth of Powerball tickets has been sold, he added.
The prospect of becoming an instant billionaire spurred ticket-buyers to imagine an affluent future.
"If I win, I'll give it all away to poor people," said New York restaurant deliveryman Osman Gamie, 43, after buying a dozen of the $2 tickets at a midtown Manhattan grocery.
Tatiann Cave, a 23-year-old home health aide, said she would use the jackpot to start her own cosmetics business.
"I'd like to quit my job and do something inspiring," Cave said.
For every $1 worth of Powerball sales, half goes to prizes, 40% to causes such as education, and 10% to retailers who sell the tickets and other administrative costs, Grief said.
Winning US$1.5B Powerball ticket sold in California | World | News | Toronto Sun
Unless you purchased your ticket in Chino Hills, California... You don't have the winning ticket :lol:
... And Tennessee or Florida
Nice to see multiple winners of that jackpot... "Only $500 Million a piece" :lol:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/powerball-lottery-drawing-record-15b-jackpot-tonight/story?id=36275166
... And Tennessee or Florida
Nice to see multiple winners of that jackpot... "Only $500 Million a piece" :lol:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/powerball-lottery-drawing-record-15b-jackpot-tonight/story?id=36275166
The way I see it is the winners life could be enriched. With a $billion I could build a fully run complex for disabled and struggling senior in every province in Canada, I could donate a $million bucks to every Children's hospital in Canada, I could give $million boost to 50 people in my home town that I can identify as needing a hand and I could pay the tuition for 50 students with talent but lacking money for University. And then I could split a $million or so among members of my own family. I don't see how any of this would ruin my life. Before it even got to that the wife and I could head for Yuma for a year.
Good catfishing down there at the all American canal near Yuma I hear. Had to work there some when I was a youngin installing patio doors and windows. Pretty warm place.The way I see it is the winners life could be enriched. With a $billion I could build a fully run complex for disabled and struggling senior in every province in Canada, I could donate a $million bucks to every Children's hospital in Canada, I could give $million boost to 50 people in my home town that I can identify as needing a hand and I could pay the tuition for 50 students with talent but lacking money for University. And then I could split a $million or so among members of my own family. I don't see how any of this would ruin my life. Before it even got to that the wife and I could head for Yuma for a year.