Authorities in Florida have arrested a couple for allegedly attempting to submit a “winning” $l million lottery ticket that was actually two losing tickets crudely stuck together, WPDE-TV reports. Dakota Jones, left, Kira Enders, right, and the Florida Lottery scratch-off Enders claimed was a winner despite being torn horizontally and laminated back together. (Image: WEAR-TV) Kira Lee Enders, 36, was detained Wednesday and charged with grand theft of more than $100K, presenting an altered state lottery ticket, and altering a lottery ticket with intent to defraud. Her partner, Dakota Jones, 32 ..read more

Hampered by a regulatory probe into its 2023 earnings restatements, Inspired Entertainment (NASDAQ: INSE) has seen its shares decline 21.7% over the past year, but at least one analyst sees opportunity with the supplier of video gaming terminals (VGT) and software. The Inspired Entertainment corporate logo. Truist Securities believes the stock can rally. (Image: PR Newswire) In a new report to clients, Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas reiterated a “buy” rating and a $13 price target on Inspired, implying upside of 41.3% from the Tuesday close. Jonas noted the Securities and Exchange Commi ..read more

It’s only a rumor for now, but reports are swirling that Mega Millions is weighing a substantial price increase for a basic play. Mega Millions tickets purchased in Ohio in July 2022 show each play costing $2. A new report suggests Mega Millions officials are considering raising the basic price to play to $5. (Image: Cincinnati Enquirer) Brett Smiley of LotteryGeeks.com reports that sources close to the discussion believe the Mega Millions Consortium, which operates the interstate lottery game on behalf of its 47 participating member jurisdictions, is ready to jack up the price of a ticket fro ..read more

Jake’s 58 broke ground today on the Long Island casino’s $210 million project that will double the number of video lottery terminals (VLTs) to 2,000. Once complete and the slot-like machines are operational, local officials say residents will no longer need to pay Islandia Village property taxes. Jake’s 58, a former Marriott hotel, is expanding its casino floor and renovating its guestrooms. The $210 million investment is expected to be completed sometime in 2025. (Image: TripAdvisor) Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation (Suffolk OTB) last summer announced its largest expansion of th ..read more

The Powerball jackpot finally hit. After 40 drawings without a single ticket matching the six drawn numbers, a lucky $2 play sold in Oregon early this morning won the life-changing sum. A Powerball player in Oregon won the weekend jackpot drawing worth $1.326 billion. The historic win ranks fourth all-time in Powerball history. (Image: Fox29) The scheduled 10:59 pm EST drawing was delayed several hours after a participating lottery needed additional time to complete its pre-draw procedures, which are designed to protect the security and integrity of the Powerball game. The April 6 drawing was ..read more

Legislation in Alabama seeking to establish a state-run lottery and Las Vegas-style casino gambling with slot machines, table games, and possibly sports betting is formally set for a conference committee. It’s been a long road to get here, but Alabama lawmakers might soon authorize a lottery, tribal and commercial casinos, and sports betting. A legislative conference committee in the Montgomery capital is trying to iron out differences between the two chambers on the gaming topic. (Image: Southern Living) Next week, leaders of the state Senate and House of Representatives will appoint three me ..read more

Massachusetts Lottery Executive Director Mark Bracken is asking state lawmakers to allow his agency to operate online lottery games and sell tickets via the internet to people aged 18 and older who are physically located within the commonwealth. Massachusetts Lottery Executive Director Mark Bracken testifies before a legislative committee on Beacon Hill in April 2023. Bracken says the state’s embrace of online sports betting poses risks to the lottery. He wants the state to allow the lottery to also move online. (Image: MassLive) Bracken heads up the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission, whi ..read more

The Powerball jackpot for Monday night’s drawing is an estimated $1 billion, the game’s fifth-richest prize of all time. The one-time cash option is roughly $483.8 million. Both prizes are before federal and, possibly, state taxes. The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $1 billion for the game’s drawing on April 1, 2024. It’s just the fifth time in the game’s history that the jackpot has gone upwards of 10 digits. (Image: Fox Philadelphia) Less than a week after a lucky player in New Jersey hit a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot — the eighth-largest lottery prize in the history o ..read more

As lotteries continue to see payouts of more than $1B, Nevada residents want some of the action. A recent poll revealed an overwhelming 75% of Nevadans questioned would like to see a lottery in the state. A line for lottery tickets at The Lotto Store in Primm, Nev., pictured above. Nevadans now regularly head to border towns like Primm to purchase lottery tickets. (Image: Las Vegas Sun) Just 13% of those taking part in the survey were opposed to a lottery in Nevada. And 12% were unsure or said they had no opinion on the issue, according to the Noble Predictive Insights Nevada Public Opinion Pu ..read more

The Mega Millions jackpot finally hit on Tuesday night. That’s after 30 drawings that didn’t see a single ticket match the five drawn white balls and the gold Mega Ball. A Mega Millions ticket that won $1.13 billion was sold at this ShopRite grocery and liquor store in New Jersey’s Neptune Township. The winner has up to one year to redeem the prize. (Image: Google) Someone in the Garden State became wildly wealthy overnight, as the winning ticket was sold in New Jersey. The $2 play was purchased at the ShopRite grocery and liquor store in Neptune, just west of Asbury Park. The winning numbers ..read more