Archive for August, 2010

That’s how this Formula One Drivers’ Championship is going: Another race, another leader, another bunch of storylines. Lewis Hamilton blew past Mark Webber early in the Belgian Grand Prix and hung on to take an easy win. With Hamilton’s victory came his new no. 1 standing on the table, three points ahead of Webber, as his McLaren team completed a two-race comeback.

“This last push in the championship couldn’t have started better for me,” Hamilton stated on the official Formula One website. “This victory was the perfect way to bounce back from Hungary.”

Webber won pole position for the first time in six races and snapped Sebastian Vettel’s four-race streak at the position; however, it did him little good, as he found himself in sixth place going into the first turn. Hamilton had claimed the lead by the end of the second lap, which was followed shortly thereafter by a downpour and the safety car’s appearance.

Still on something of a dangerous track, Vettel collided with Jenson Button in the 16th lap to take the latter out of the race and Vettel out of contention for good.

Hamilton increased his lead when race resumed but his teammate Jenson Button’s championship aspirations suffered a setback when Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull hit him during lap 16.

Interestingly, Hamilton was considered the underdog at the sportsbooks among the big four going into the race at 5/1 odds, while Webber was third on most bookmaker’s tables at 4/1. Vettel was getting 9/4 odds in most shops, while Fernando Alonso, who was never in it in Belgium, had been the favorite.

That’s how this Formula One Drivers’ Championship is going: Another race, another leader, another bunch of storylines. Lewis Hamilton blew past Mark Webber early in the Belgian Grand Prix and hung on to take an easy win. With Hamilton’s victory came his new no. 1 standing on the table, three points ahead of Webber, as his McLaren team completed a two-race comeback.

“This last push in the championship couldn’t have started better for me,” Hamilton stated on the official Formula One website. “This victory was the perfect way to bounce back from Hungary.”

Webber won pole position for the first time in six races and snapped Sebastian Vettel’s four-race streak at the position; however, it did him little good, as he found himself in sixth place going into the first turn. Hamilton had claimed the lead by the end of the second lap, which was followed shortly thereafter by a downpour and the safety car’s appearance.

Still on something of a dangerous track, Vettel collided with Jenson Button in the 16th lap to take the latter out of the race and Vettel out of contention for good.

Hamilton increased his lead when race resumed but his teammate Jenson Button’s championship aspirations suffered a setback when Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull hit him during lap 16.

Interestingly, Hamilton was considered the underdog at the sportsbooks among the big four going into the race at 5/1 odds, while Webber was third on most bookmaker’s tables at 4/1. Vettel was getting 9/4 odds in most shops, while Fernando Alonso, who was never in it in Belgium, had been the favorite.

Odds of 176 million to 1 were beat this weekend in San Luis Obispo County, California, when the Mega Millions jackpot of $133 million was won by … someone. The numbers 4, 10, 26, 31, 32, and 41 came up to produce a single winner of the record-breaking amount, but no one has stepped forward to claim the prize yet.

Though the $133 million is not the largest prize in the lottery ever – that honor goes to a woman from Southern California who took a $266 million jackpot in May – the win is the biggest ever in San Luis Obispo County.

Seller of the lucky ticket, an outlet known as Bottle Liquor and Deli, will receive a nice bonus of $665,000 for the win. The ticket-holder will be given the option of $92.4 million lump sum payment or payments of $5.11 million per year for 26 years.

California lottery spokesman Alex Traverso said that the winner may take up to 365 days to collect but “rarely do we have a jackpot winner [of a prize] this size wait more than a week.”

Odds of 176 million to 1 were beat this weekend in San Luis Obispo County, California, when the Mega Millions jackpot of $133 million was won by … someone. The numbers 4, 10, 26, 31, 32, and 41 came up to produce a single winner of the record-breaking amount, but no one has stepped forward to claim the prize yet.

Though the $133 million is not the largest prize in the lottery ever – that honor goes to a woman from Southern California who took a $266 million jackpot in May – the win is the biggest ever in San Luis Obispo County.

Seller of the lucky ticket, an outlet known as Bottle Liquor and Deli, will receive a nice bonus of $665,000 for the win. The ticket-holder will be given the option of $92.4 million lump sum payment or payments of $5.11 million per year for 26 years.

California lottery spokesman Alex Traverso said that the winner may take up to 365 days to collect but “rarely do we have a jackpot winner [of a prize] this size wait more than a week.”

Another massive progressive jackpot slot game paid out big this week. This time it was at one of the internet’s top bingo sites: Mecca Bingo.

Mecca Bingo is a unique site, because it is actually the online version of a chain physical bingo halls in the UK. The lucky winner, who uses the online alias Dudderbear, was at a Mecca Bingo hall in Leeds when a lucrative welcome bonus led her to sign up online. Since then the mother of two has been regular at Mecca Bingo’s online website.

Dudderbear won the €65,625 prize on a progressive jackpot game called Jungle Madness. This wild video slot is filled with jungle critters like monkeys, snakes, and tigers. Its progressive jackpot prize is paid when five tigers appear in the middle payline.

“I just couldn’t believe it when the slot machine demonstrated that I had won,” explained Dudderbear. “Immediately I rushed to my mother who also was speechless. My mother has an injury so she wasn’t able to go wild with me but her calmness had a positive effect on me. I informed my children while my husband is away for his work. I still need to bring him the good news.”

“I plan to spend the money on a new car and on a nice vacation. I already know which car I would love to buy! Surely my colleagues will have more options for spending the windfall.”

Another massive progressive jackpot slot game paid out big this week. This time it was at one of the internet’s top bingo sites: Mecca Bingo.

Mecca Bingo is a unique site, because it is actually the online version of a chain physical bingo halls in the UK. The lucky winner, who uses the online alias Dudderbear, was at a Mecca Bingo hall in Leeds when a lucrative welcome bonus led her to sign up online. Since then the mother of two has been regular at Mecca Bingo’s online website.

Dudderbear won the €65,625 prize on a progressive jackpot game called Jungle Madness. This wild video slot is filled with jungle critters like monkeys, snakes, and tigers. Its progressive jackpot prize is paid when five tigers appear in the middle payline.

“I just couldn’t believe it when the slot machine demonstrated that I had won,” explained Dudderbear. “Immediately I rushed to my mother who also was speechless. My mother has an injury so she wasn’t able to go wild with me but her calmness had a positive effect on me. I informed my children while my husband is away for his work. I still need to bring him the good news.”

“I plan to spend the money on a new car and on a nice vacation. I already know which car I would love to buy! Surely my colleagues will have more options for spending the windfall.”

When Frank Sullivan hit the Tri-State Megabucks lottery sponsored by Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire state governments for $12.5 million, he knew exactly what to do – no wonder, as twice before family members have struck it rich.

The $12.5 million represents the largest single prize ever rewarded in the Tri-State Megabucks lottery since its establishment in 1985. The bad (though certainly manageable) news for Sullivan is that, since he’s a Vermont native who bought the ticket across the border in New Hampshire, he’ll be paying taxes on his winnings in two states. In taking the “lump sum” option, Sullivan will be banking over $5 million.

According to local media, one of the very first things the 52-year-old did – even before stepping up to claim his prize – was to give two weeks’ notice at his job at a local electronics supplier. He now reportedly carries around lip balm “for people that want money – They’ve gotta kiss up a little bit more” and a black book “for the marriage proposals.”

The store in Gilman where Sullivan bought the ticket will also be receiving $30,000 for selling the lucky jackpot winner.

NECN Online also reports that Sullivan had purchased tickets for last night’s Megabucks drawing – presumably he didn’t win that one, however…

When Frank Sullivan hit the Tri-State Megabucks lottery sponsored by Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire state governments for $12.5 million, he knew exactly what to do – no wonder, as twice before family members have struck it rich.

The $12.5 million represents the largest single prize ever rewarded in the Tri-State Megabucks lottery since its establishment in 1985. The bad (though certainly manageable) news for Sullivan is that, since he’s a Vermont native who bought the ticket across the border in New Hampshire, he’ll be paying taxes on his winnings in two states. In taking the “lump sum” option, Sullivan will be banking over $5 million.

According to local media, one of the very first things the 52-year-old did – even before stepping up to claim his prize – was to give two weeks’ notice at his job at a local electronics supplier. He now reportedly carries around lip balm “for people that want money – They’ve gotta kiss up a little bit more” and a black book “for the marriage proposals.”

The store in Gilman where Sullivan bought the ticket will also be receiving $30,000 for selling the lucky jackpot winner.

NECN Online also reports that Sullivan had purchased tickets for last night’s Megabucks drawing – presumably he didn’t win that one, however…

The scene of the crime is the Sho-Ka-Wah Casino in Hopeland, California. The perpetrators are eight locals, aged 38 to 47, including former casino employee Joan Elizabeth Pickron. The crime, according to state Attorney General’s Office spokeswoman Kate Gibbs, is “manipulating jackpot slot machines to cheat the casino.”

This group of gamblers have been hacking the casino’s slot machines for more than three years. No details have been release about how the group rigged the jackpot slots, but their efforts earned them a total of more than $100,000 in ill-gotten wins.

The California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control has been investigating the situation since late 2008, and arrests were finally made last week. All eight offenders now face charges of embezzlement and grand theft.

Normally, the security of casino slot machines is quite strong, so the fact that these gamblers were able to manipulate the machines is surprising. Online jackpot slots are even more secure, since all games are monitored electronically. Fortunately, this sort of crime is rare, and even when something like this does happen, it has little effect on other patrons of the casino where the crime takes place.

The scene of the crime is the Sho-Ka-Wah Casino in Hopeland, California. The perpetrators are eight locals, aged 38 to 47, including former casino employee Joan Elizabeth Pickron. The crime, according to state Attorney General’s Office spokeswoman Kate Gibbs, is “manipulating jackpot slot machines to cheat the casino.”

This group of gamblers have been hacking the casino’s slot machines for more than three years. No details have been release about how the group rigged the jackpot slots, but their efforts earned them a total of more than $100,000 in ill-gotten wins.

The California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control has been investigating the situation since late 2008, and arrests were finally made last week. All eight offenders now face charges of embezzlement and grand theft.

Normally, the security of casino slot machines is quite strong, so the fact that these gamblers were able to manipulate the machines is surprising. Online jackpot slots are even more secure, since all games are monitored electronically. Fortunately, this sort of crime is rare, and even when something like this does happen, it has little effect on other patrons of the casino where the crime takes place.

As though it weren’t enough for one lucky Ladbrokes Casino player to take £75,000 on a single spin, as though it weren’t enough that he did it on a free spin earned through a promotion, the big winner also pulled off the feat on a Friday the 13th.

Ladbrokes Online Casino just released a few details – though not the identity – about their £75,000 winner, and it’s a story about beating the odds all the way. The London resident first won in the casino’s “Single Day Prize Draw Promotion,” which offered randomly-awarded £10, £25 and £50 prizes for play on the Mega Moolah Isis progressive slot.

Even stranger about this story is that just last month a Ladbrokes customer hit Mega Moolah Isis for over £88,000 – and that player was also from London! With such a stacking up of coincidences, it’s no wonder magical Friday the 13th paid off in strange ways, one supposes.

A representative for Ladbrokes marketing said that “A £75,000 win on Friday the 13th is amazing. It just goes to show that this day can be lucky for some! We have had so many big winners in the last few months that 2010 is starting to look very good for our customers.”

With a bit more than a trace of worry, Ladbrokes also reminds that the progressive jackpot on the record-breaking Mega Moolah progressive slot has just passed £4 million.

As though it weren’t enough for one lucky Ladbrokes Casino player to take £75,000 on a single spin, as though it weren’t enough that he did it on a free spin earned through a promotion, the big winner also pulled off the feat on a Friday the 13th.

Ladbrokes Online Casino just released a few details – though not the identity – about their £75,000 winner, and it’s a story about beating the odds all the way. The London resident first won in the casino’s “Single Day Prize Draw Promotion,” which offered randomly-awarded £10, £25 and £50 prizes for play on the Mega Moolah Isis progressive slot.

Even stranger about this story is that just last month a Ladbrokes customer hit Mega Moolah Isis for over £88,000 – and that player was also from London! With such a stacking up of coincidences, it’s no wonder magical Friday the 13th paid off in strange ways, one supposes.

A representative for Ladbrokes marketing said that “A £75,000 win on Friday the 13th is amazing. It just goes to show that this day can be lucky for some! We have had so many big winners in the last few months that 2010 is starting to look very good for our customers.”

With a bit more than a trace of worry, Ladbrokes also reminds that the progressive jackpot on the record-breaking Mega Moolah progressive slot has just passed £4 million.

Bet365 Games member “Vassilis T” hit the jackpot last week on a fantastically unique video slot called Alice in Wonderland. The lucky winner hit the game’s progressive jackpot, pulling in a prize of £107,808.

Alice in Wonderland slot is obviously based on the classic tale by Lewis Carroll. It is a 20 line, five reel video slot packed with special features. The most lucrative feature, as Vassilis can attest to, is its progressive jackpot. This big prize is paid out during the Tea Party Bonus Round, in which Alice, the March Hare, the Dormouse and the Mad Hatter sit around drinking tea while players win big prizes.

The game’s graphics are cartoonish, and they are much brighter and more playful than the visuals that came out in Tim Burton’s visit to Wonderland in his recent film starring Johnny Depp. This slot is light-hearted and fun, but as this recent progressive win shows, it still packs a powerful punch.

Vassilis T won this jackpot at Bet365 Games, a Playtech powered site offering more than 150 top casino games, including several other popular progressive jackpot slots like Stravaganza and Gold Rally. Beach Life is currently offering the biggest prize, with nearly $1.5 million just waiting to be won.

Bet365 Games member “Vassilis T” hit the jackpot last week on a fantastically unique video slot called Alice in Wonderland. The lucky winner hit the game’s progressive jackpot, pulling in a prize of £107,808.

Alice in Wonderland slot is obviously based on the classic tale by Lewis Carroll. It is a 20 line, five reel video slot packed with special features. The most lucrative feature, as Vassilis can attest to, is its progressive jackpot. This big prize is paid out during the Tea Party Bonus Round, in which Alice, the March Hare, the Dormouse and the Mad Hatter sit around drinking tea while players win big prizes.

The game’s graphics are cartoonish, and they are much brighter and more playful than the visuals that came out in Tim Burton’s visit to Wonderland in his recent film starring Johnny Depp. This slot is light-hearted and fun, but as this recent progressive win shows, it still packs a powerful punch.

Vassilis T won this jackpot at Bet365 Games, a Playtech powered site offering more than 150 top casino games, including several other popular progressive jackpot slots like Stravaganza and Gold Rally. Beach Life is currently offering the biggest prize, with nearly $1.5 million just waiting to be won.

Director Erik White’s new film Lottery Ticket is, unsurprisingly, a movie about a young man who wins the lottery. It is a comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and judging by the reviews that are popping up from film critics, nobody else is taking it very seriously either.

Lottery Ticket stars rapper Bow Wow as Kevin Carson, a young man living in the projects with his grandmother, whose life takes a turn when he wins a $370 million lottery prize. When he tries to cash in his winning ticket, he finds the lottery office closed for a long 4th of July holiday weekend. The movie follows his misadventures as he struggles to survive three days of begging and bantering from his friends and family, who are all eager to grab a slice of his new jackpot prize.

It’s an easy movie, slightly charming, but overall it’s not a very satisfying ride. Its all-star cast (Mike Epps, T-Pain, Keith David, Charlie Murphy, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Terry Crews, Ice Cube and Loretta Devine) offers a lot of great cameos which spices things up, but these brighter moments don’t keep the story from being utterly predictable. Is this Lottery Ticket worth the $9 it costs to see it in the cinema? Probably not.

Director Erik White’s new film Lottery Ticket is, unsurprisingly, a movie about a young man who wins the lottery. It is a comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and judging by the reviews that are popping up from film critics, nobody else is taking it very seriously either.

Lottery Ticket stars rapper Bow Wow as Kevin Carson, a young man living in the projects with his grandmother, whose life takes a turn when he wins a $370 million lottery prize. When he tries to cash in his winning ticket, he finds the lottery office closed for a long 4th of July holiday weekend. The movie follows his misadventures as he struggles to survive three days of begging and bantering from his friends and family, who are all eager to grab a slice of his new jackpot prize.

It’s an easy movie, slightly charming, but overall it’s not a very satisfying ride. Its all-star cast (Mike Epps, T-Pain, Keith David, Charlie Murphy, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Terry Crews, Ice Cube and Loretta Devine) offers a lot of great cameos which spices things up, but these brighter moments don’t keep the story from being utterly predictable. Is this Lottery Ticket worth the $9 it costs to see it in the cinema? Probably not.

A study undertaken by Gaming Club internet casino’s parent company Carmen Media Group suggests that, based on current trends, the average online progressive slot jackpot will be over $1,000,000 by 2018. Today, Gaming Club reports that its average jackpot payout is $50,000, but that includes both progressive jackpots and other in-game big payout jackpot wins – in 1995, the average “major jackpot” win was just over $5,000.

Can this exponential growth actually be sustained? A Gaming Club spokesmen certainly thinks so, saying in a publicly-released statement that “within a few years, we’re confident that jackpots will regularly make our winning players overnight millionaires.”

The reason for this rapid increase in single-hit payouts is quite simple: The birth and growth in popularity of the networked progressive jackpot; indeed, in seven years of the Microgaming progressive network, the big company has awarded over $260 million in jackpots alone. Since such progressive jackpots are generated by taking percentage of every wager worldwide, a massive jackpot pool is much more quickly generated than in a single-casino, single-machine situation.

Big winners are of course becoming more common than ever, with record-breaking wins basically happening once a year. The largest-ever online slot jackpot was hit last summer by player Georgios M., who hit Mega Moolah for a huge €6.3 million. The biggest recent winner was a Catherine M. of California, who won just a smidge under $1 million on Red, White & Blue at Go Casino.

A study undertaken by Gaming Club internet casino’s parent company Carmen Media Group suggests that, based on current trends, the average online progressive slot jackpot will be over $1,000,000 by 2018. Today, Gaming Club reports that its average jackpot payout is $50,000, but that includes both progressive jackpots and other in-game big payout jackpot wins – in 1995, the average “major jackpot” win was just over $5,000.

Can this exponential growth actually be sustained? A Gaming Club spokesmen certainly thinks so, saying in a publicly-released statement that “within a few years, we’re confident that jackpots will regularly make our winning players overnight millionaires.”

The reason for this rapid increase in single-hit payouts is quite simple: The birth and growth in popularity of the networked progressive jackpot; indeed, in seven years of the Microgaming progressive network, the big company has awarded over $260 million in jackpots alone. Since such progressive jackpots are generated by taking percentage of every wager worldwide, a massive jackpot pool is much more quickly generated than in a single-casino, single-machine situation.

Big winners are of course becoming more common than ever, with record-breaking wins basically happening once a year. The largest-ever online slot jackpot was hit last summer by player Georgios M., who hit Mega Moolah for a huge €6.3 million. The biggest recent winner was a Catherine M. of California, who won just a smidge under $1 million on Red, White & Blue at Go Casino.

Slotland is an online casino dedicated to slot games. The site runs on proprietary software, which means every game they offer is exclusive, and can’t be found anyplace else. Slotland is especially well known for its progressive jackpot games. The jackpots don’t get as high as they do on some of the larger software networks like Microgaming or Playtech, but players can still win considerable amounts of money.

The latest jackpot winner at Slotland is player SOUTHBELLE, who just the other day won $148,711 while playing the Lucky Stars progressive slot.

“I’m so excited I can’t think straight,” said the lucky player shortly after she won. “I’m sure not used to having that kind of spending money so I really don’t know what I’ll do with it! I’m terrible for spoiling my family. Can’t help it! So I’ll have some fun with this that’s for sure. First though, my brother has been going through some tough times lately so I’m going to help him with some of the bills that have piled up.”

All the slots at Slotland are connected to the same progressive jackpot. The last time this jackpot was won on Lucky Stars was way back in December 2007, but since then, players have won the jackpot on other Slotland games.

“We had a $168,476 winner in May but other than that this is our biggest win since last October,” said Slotland manager Michael Hilary.

The Slotland Casino progressive jackpot has been reset to the base amount of $50,000 and will start growing with every wager placed at the casino until another lucky player wins it all.

Slotland is an online casino dedicated to slot games. The site runs on proprietary software, which means every game they offer is exclusive, and can’t be found anyplace else. Slotland is especially well known for its progressive jackpot games. The jackpots don’t get as high as they do on some of the larger software networks like Microgaming or Playtech, but players can still win considerable amounts of money.

The latest jackpot winner at Slotland is player SOUTHBELLE, who just the other day won $148,711 while playing the Lucky Stars progressive slot.

“I’m so excited I can’t think straight,” said the lucky player shortly after she won. “I’m sure not used to having that kind of spending money so I really don’t know what I’ll do with it! I’m terrible for spoiling my family. Can’t help it! So I’ll have some fun with this that’s for sure. First though, my brother has been going through some tough times lately so I’m going to help him with some of the bills that have piled up.”

All the slots at Slotland are connected to the same progressive jackpot. The last time this jackpot was won on Lucky Stars was way back in December 2007, but since then, players have won the jackpot on other Slotland games.

“We had a $168,476 winner in May but other than that this is our biggest win since last October,” said Slotland manager Michael Hilary.

The Slotland Casino progressive jackpot has been reset to the base amount of $50,000 and will start growing with every wager placed at the casino until another lucky player wins it all.

Typically on the pages of Gambling Results, you’ll see six-figure winners in slots and state lotteries all the time – but winning $775,338 in a *raffle*? That’s newsworthy!

The lucky winner of this surely record-breaking raffle in Michigan, so far identified publicly only as “Santo,” was the beneficiary of a simple local promotion that essentially “went viral” to run through 49 weeks and sell a crazy 238,000 tickets in seven days alone.

The holder of quite possibly the world’s biggest raffle pool ever was the Carleton Rotary Club of Carleton, Michigan. Beginning nearly one year ago, all the club sought to do was raise a little money by holding a “Jack of Spades raffle.” The idea was that one winning ticket was drawn each week and the ticket-holder rewarded with a prize; the winner could then draw from a deck of 52 cards plus jokers to increase the prize. The jack of spades was designated as the jackpot card – a card it took 49 weeks to draw. (Talk about your progressive jackpots…

By the time the 49th and final draw was made on Friday night, lines formed at the Grafton Inn Sports Bar & Grill – where the raffle had been held weekly – to buy tickets hours before the establishment opened.

Typically on the pages of Gambling Results, you’ll see six-figure winners in slots and state lotteries all the time – but winning $775,338 in a *raffle*? That’s newsworthy!

The lucky winner of this surely record-breaking raffle in Michigan, so far identified publicly only as “Santo,” was the beneficiary of a simple local promotion that essentially “went viral” to run through 49 weeks and sell a crazy 238,000 tickets in seven days alone.

The holder of quite possibly the world’s biggest raffle pool ever was the Carleton Rotary Club of Carleton, Michigan. Beginning nearly one year ago, all the club sought to do was raise a little money by holding a “Jack of Spades raffle.” The idea was that one winning ticket was drawn each week and the ticket-holder rewarded with a prize; the winner could then draw from a deck of 52 cards plus jokers to increase the prize. The jack of spades was designated as the jackpot card – a card it took 49 weeks to draw. (Talk about your progressive jackpots…

By the time the 49th and final draw was made on Friday night, lines formed at the Grafton Inn Sports Bar & Grill – where the raffle had been held weekly – to buy tickets hours before the establishment opened.

A couple of twenty-something Canadians hit a massive progressive slot jackpot while playing at Casino Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada over the weekend. The pair started the evening at the roulette tables, and they were having a rough time. After losing more money than they would have liked, the young men returned later in the evening, resolute to do better.

A slot machine caught their eye – it was called Monte Carlo, and it had been occupied most of the night. They saw their chance and dropped some coins on the game. Their luck changed. A $40 gamble helped them hit the $913,940 jackpot, changing their lives forever.

“I was extremely shocked,” said one of the lucky winners. “I didn’t say too much for the entire night. I was up until about 5 a.m. just sitting there.”

The last time Monte Carlo hit was back in 2008, but this weekend’s win set a record for the biggest amount won in the 14 years the casino has been open. It is also the largest slot payout ever in Canada.

Slot fans hoping to net their own massive jackpot should try their hands on Mega Moolah, an online slot machine with a jackpot that is sitting at almost $4 million, growing bigger by the minute.

A couple of twenty-something Canadians hit a massive progressive slot jackpot while playing at Casino Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada over the weekend. The pair started the evening at the roulette tables, and they were having a rough time. After losing more money than they would have liked, the young men returned later in the evening, resolute to do better.

A slot machine caught their eye – it was called Monte Carlo, and it had been occupied most of the night. They saw their chance and dropped some coins on the game. Their luck changed. A $40 gamble helped them hit the $913,940 jackpot, changing their lives forever.

“I was extremely shocked,” said one of the lucky winners. “I didn’t say too much for the entire night. I was up until about 5 a.m. just sitting there.”

The last time Monte Carlo hit was back in 2008, but this weekend’s win set a record for the biggest amount won in the 14 years the casino has been open. It is also the largest slot payout ever in Canada.

Slot fans hoping to net their own massive jackpot should try their hands on Mega Moolah, an online slot machine with a jackpot that is sitting at almost $4 million, growing bigger by the minute.

Four winners shared in this weekend’s UK national lottery jackpot grand prize of £4.47 million, but none were as openly generous – or as young – as Stacey Bywater of Holmfirth, England. Stacey, who is 18 years old, was allowed by her parents to play the lottery after her last birthday, even though U.K. law says that anyone over 16 may win.

Bywater’s share ended up being exactly £1,117,779 (about $1.75 million), but British media is happily reporting that Stacey has level-headed plans for the money. First she says she’d like to help her mother and father get a bigger home, moving out of the council house they’re residing in now. She’ll at least be putting down the deposit on a mortgage for a new house.

Afterward, Stacey said she’d be buying herself a Mini Cooper convertible and perhaps a living space – but only for rent. “I’m only 18 and I don’t want to leave them yet,” she told local media outlets. “I don’t think it has sunk in that I’m a millionaire.”

The winning numbers chosen by Stacey and three others were 13, 16, 22, 25, 31 and 39. The total prize pool for last Saturday’s draw was over £14 million ($22 million).

Four winners shared in this weekend’s UK national lottery jackpot grand prize of £4.47 million, but none were as openly generous – or as young – as Stacey Bywater of Holmfirth, England. Stacey, who is 18 years old, was allowed by her parents to play the lottery after her last birthday, even though U.K. law says that anyone over 16 may win.

Bywater’s share ended up being exactly £1,117,779 (about $1.75 million), but British media is happily reporting that Stacey has level-headed plans for the money. First she says she’d like to help her mother and father get a bigger home, moving out of the council house they’re residing in now. She’ll at least be putting down the deposit on a mortgage for a new house.

Afterward, Stacey said she’d be buying herself a Mini Cooper convertible and perhaps a living space – but only for rent. “I’m only 18 and I don’t want to leave them yet,” she told local media outlets. “I don’t think it has sunk in that I’m a millionaire.”

The winning numbers chosen by Stacey and three others were 13, 16, 22, 25, 31 and 39. The total prize pool for last Saturday’s draw was over £14 million ($22 million).

A Shanghai resident won the lottery just days ago, claiming a 259 million yuan jackpot ($38 million USD). This is the second largest lottery win ever recorded in China.

The ticket, purchased at a lottery booth in Dalian Road, Yangpu District, was for a game from the China Welfare Lottery called Union Lotto, sometimes known as the two-colored ball game. Each ticket offers up to 55 top prizes and many more secondary prizes. The winner grabbed 50 out of the 55 top prizes, each one worth five million yuan (about $740,000 USD). An additional six million yuan ($885,600 USD) was won through secondary prizes.

The winner, whose identity has yet to be released, will have to pay approximately 20 percent of the winnings as tax.

The Union Lotto is a progressive jackpot, so it keeps growing week after week if there is no winner. Last year, a player from China’s Henan Province won 359.9 million yuan, the largest lottery jackpot the country has ever seen.

A Shanghai resident won the lottery just days ago, claiming a 259 million yuan jackpot ($38 million USD). This is the second largest lottery win ever recorded in China.

The ticket, purchased at a lottery booth in Dalian Road, Yangpu District, was for a game from the China Welfare Lottery called Union Lotto, sometimes known as the two-colored ball game. Each ticket offers up to 55 top prizes and many more secondary prizes. The winner grabbed 50 out of the 55 top prizes, each one worth five million yuan (about $740,000 USD). An additional six million yuan ($885,600 USD) was won through secondary prizes.

The winner, whose identity has yet to be released, will have to pay approximately 20 percent of the winnings as tax.

The Union Lotto is a progressive jackpot, so it keeps growing week after week if there is no winner. Last year, a player from China’s Henan Province won 359.9 million yuan, the largest lottery jackpot the country has ever seen.

Sometimes it seems even quitting gambling can be a gamble – especially if you win a jackpot.

Apparently finding himself becoming a problem gambler back in 2004, New Zealander Sothea Sinn and his then-girlfriend filled out the paperwork for a self-exclusion ban at Auckland’s Sky City Casino. But Sinn had either overcome his problem or lost control of it last month when he went to play at Sky City again.

Sinn’s trip to the casino ended up becoming a serious good news/bad news scenario: The now 28-year-old hit a $44,000 jackpot playing the pokies; unfortunately for him, Sinn was told that the ban was still in place and that they would not be granting his big prize after all.

“I was absolutely gutted,” said Sinn to Auckland’s Dominion-Post newspaper.

Stating that he believed the self-exclusion ban would have expired within six years’ time, the casino countered by claiming such a ban can only be removed once the banned player has attended a certain number of mandatory counseling sessions to treat addiction to gambling.

Sinn has told local media that he will hire an attorney and attempt to bring a formal complaint to the New Zealand gambling authorities in order to obtain his winnings.

Sometimes it seems even quitting gambling can be a gamble – especially if you win a jackpot.

Apparently finding himself becoming a problem gambler back in 2004, New Zealander Sothea Sinn and his then-girlfriend filled out the paperwork for a self-exclusion ban at Auckland’s Sky City Casino. But Sinn had either overcome his problem or lost control of it last month when he went to play at Sky City again.

Sinn’s trip to the casino ended up becoming a serious good news/bad news scenario: The now 28-year-old hit a $44,000 jackpot playing the pokies; unfortunately for him, Sinn was told that the ban was still in place and that they would not be granting his big prize after all.

“I was absolutely gutted,” said Sinn to Auckland’s Dominion-Post newspaper.

Stating that he believed the self-exclusion ban would have expired within six years’ time, the casino countered by claiming such a ban can only be removed once the banned player has attended a certain number of mandatory counseling sessions to treat addiction to gambling.

Sinn has told local media that he will hire an attorney and attempt to bring a formal complaint to the New Zealand gambling authorities in order to obtain his winnings.

Just days ago, a progressive slot game called Red White & Win, a Vegas Technology software progressive jackpot, paid out a jackpot just shy of one million dollars. The exact amount was reported as $989,441. After the jackpot paid out, the counter was reset to the low default amount of $6,400.

Red White & Win is a patriotic American themed slot game. Its three reel classic design combined with its progressive jackpot prize makes it a popular game among US players. Best of all, the game has a fixed coin size of $2.50 and a max bet of $7.50 making it very affordable as far as progressive jackpot slots go. The game is won by spinning three American Flag symbols across the center payline on a max bet spin.

News about this mega jackpot prize has only come through an automatic progressive jackpot slots tracking system. It is not yet known who won the jackpot, or even which casino the winner was playing at. Confirmation about the win will probably be announced soon, either through the casino where the jackpot was won or through Vegas Technology directly.

Vegas Technology software progressive jackpot games, and this Red White & Win jackpot is one of the largest they’ve ever paid out. This software producer is one of the few big players in the online gambling world that still accepts US players, making it a top choice for people from the United States who are looking for real money online casino games. Other software companies which power online casinos accepting US players include RealTime Gaming, Rival Gaming, and Top Game.

Just days ago, a progressive slot game called Red White & Win, a Vegas Technology software progressive jackpot, paid out a jackpot just shy of one million dollars. The exact amount was reported as $989,441. After the jackpot paid out, the counter was reset to the low default amount of $6,400.

Red White & Win is a patriotic American themed slot game. Its three reel classic design combined with its progressive jackpot prize makes it a popular game among US players. Best of all, the game has a fixed coin size of $2.50 and a max bet of $7.50 making it very affordable as far as progressive jackpot slots go. The game is won by spinning three American Flag symbols across the center payline on a max bet spin.

News about this mega jackpot prize has only come through an automatic progressive jackpot slots tracking system. It is not yet known who won the jackpot, or even which casino the winner was playing at. Confirmation about the win will probably be announced soon, either through the casino where the jackpot was won or through Vegas Technology directly.

Vegas Technology software progressive jackpot games, and this Red White & Win jackpot is one of the largest they’ve ever paid out. This software producer is one of the few big players in the online gambling world that still accepts US players, making it a top choice for people from the United States who are looking for real money online casino games. Other software companies which power online casinos accepting US players include RealTime Gaming, Rival Gaming, and Top Game.

In what South African National Lottery spokeswoman Thembi Tulwana is calling “another dream come true,” a 66-year-old man from Gauteng province has been awarded Saturday’s grand prize ZAR 10 million (about $1.38 million).

When claiming the prize, the man thought he had won a “second-division prize” in the lottery worth just under $15,000. Instead he found out he actually one the big one when rechecking the numbers. His reaction: “Unable to contain his disbelief, he broke down and cried hysterically,” according to representatives of Gidani, the Greece-based company running the lottery.

They went on to state that “He then called his wife of 43 years, whom he trusts entirely, to share the news.”

Though on the face of it, the grand prize doesn’t seem that huge, it’s quite an amazing windfall in a country where, as Wikipedia informs, “The median annual income of Black working adults aged 15-65 is ZAR 12,073 [$1,665].”

Once the man composed himself a bit, he told lottery officials that this prize meant financial independence, plus the opportunity to buy property for himself and his family’s caretaker, and possibly travel. “We will now be able to do things sooner rather than having to wait until we can afford to buy what we like,” he said.

The South African National Lottery started in 2000 and is today overwhelmingly the most popular form of gambling in the country: A study by the National Centre for the Study of Gambling in 2006 showed that 82% of citizens played the lottery and 53% did no other form of gambling.

In what South African National Lottery spokeswoman Thembi Tulwana is calling “another dream come true,” a 66-year-old man from Gauteng province has been awarded Saturday’s grand prize ZAR 10 million (about $1.38 million).

When claiming the prize, the man thought he had won a “second-division prize” in the lottery worth just under $15,000. Instead he found out he actually one the big one when rechecking the numbers. His reaction: “Unable to contain his disbelief, he broke down and cried hysterically,” according to representatives of Gidani, the Greece-based company running the lottery.

They went on to state that “He then called his wife of 43 years, whom he trusts entirely, to share the news.”

Though on the face of it, the grand prize doesn’t seem that huge, it’s quite an amazing windfall in a country where, as Wikipedia informs, “The median annual income of Black working adults aged 15-65 is ZAR 12,073 [$1,665].”

Once the man composed himself a bit, he told lottery officials that this prize meant financial independence, plus the opportunity to buy property for himself and his family’s caretaker, and possibly travel. “We will now be able to do things sooner rather than having to wait until we can afford to buy what we like,” he said.

The South African National Lottery started in 2000 and is today overwhelmingly the most popular form of gambling in the country: A study by the National Centre for the Study of Gambling in 2006 showed that 82% of citizens played the lottery and 53% did no other form of gambling.

PKR Casino player ‘PaulTuscan’ just hit the jackpot for the second time in the past 9 months, winning $174,084 on the Queen of Pyramids progressive slot game. Last November, PaulTuscan hit a similar jackpot, winning $88,000 on a game called ‘Fruit Mania’. This brings the man’s winnings up past a quarter of a million dollars in the last year alone.

The Welsh gambler took notice of Queen of Pyramids slot when he saw that its progressive jackpot had climbed above $90,000. “Then it topped $174,004.01 and it was the most I have seen it at,” said Paul. “The rest is history as they say.”

The lucky slot fan is considering spending his winnings on an Aston Martin, or maybe a couple of long holidays.

PKR Casino is a sister site to the famous PKR Poker. The casino runs on software designed by Playtech which operates one of the largest networks of progressive jackpots in the world. Their progressive games can be played for as little as $0.50, and 1% of each bet made on the game is added to the jackpot, which grows and grows until a lucky player like PaulTuscan comes along and wins the whole thing.

Right now, two of Playtech’s progressive slot games have jackpots that are more than a million dollars. Beach Life is sitting at $1.2 million, while Gold Rally is just behind at $1.1 million. These prizes can pay out at any time. Who will be the next lucky jackpot winner?

PKR Casino player ‘PaulTuscan’ just hit the jackpot for the second time in the past 9 months, winning $174,084 on the Queen of Pyramids progressive slot game. Last November, PaulTuscan hit a similar jackpot, winning $88,000 on a game called ‘Fruit Mania’. This brings the man’s winnings up past a quarter of a million dollars in the last year alone.

The Welsh gambler took notice of Queen of Pyramids slot when he saw that its progressive jackpot had climbed above $90,000. “Then it topped $174,004.01 and it was the most I have seen it at,” said Paul. “The rest is history as they say.”

The lucky slot fan is considering spending his winnings on an Aston Martin, or maybe a couple of long holidays.

PKR Casino is a sister site to the famous PKR Poker. The casino runs on software designed by Playtech which operates one of the largest networks of progressive jackpots in the world. Their progressive games can be played for as little as $0.50, and 1% of each bet made on the game is added to the jackpot, which grows and grows until a lucky player like PaulTuscan comes along and wins the whole thing.

Right now, two of Playtech’s progressive slot games have jackpots that are more than a million dollars. Beach Life is sitting at $1.2 million, while Gold Rally is just behind at $1.1 million. These prizes can pay out at any time. Who will be the next lucky jackpot winner?

Quite possibly the hottest online casino on the entire Internet in terms of big payouts last month was Spin Palace Casino. The Microgaming-powered casino reported no fewer than five progressive jackpot winners in addition to another nine players who took home $18,000 or more on standard video slot games.

July’s biggest winner at Spin Palace was a player known as S.P. Playing Treasure Nile on July 19th, S.P. lined up enough jackpot symbols to win a nice €52,815.82 (about $68,300) on the 9-payline machine.

Some smaller progressive jackpots won in July at Spin Palace include the €10,985.06 ($14,125) taken by M.D.R. at LotsaLoot when he hit three LotsaLoot symbols on payline 5. Player E.L. won a piece of the Mega Moolah jackpot worth €10,302.20 (almost $13,000) from Mega Moolah Summertime Slot. (The Mega Moolah bonus is now at over $3.8 million, by the way.) And M.B. took one of the smaller Mega Moolah progressive jackpots to start the month by winning $10,015.39.

Finally, the biggest table game winner was surely L.V.D.P. who won €20,000 on the Progressive Cyberstud Poker game there.

Slot players M.W., R.H. and V.L. each registered big wins in July, taking Spin Palace for over $154,000 combined. M.W. was the single largest winner after seeing quite a run on Isis and Fortune Finder slots for nearly $70,000. G.P. also recorded a nice windfall, going for $20,730 on Tomb Raider: Secret of the Sword slot.

Quite possibly the hottest online casino on the entire Internet in terms of big payouts last month was Spin Palace Casino. The Microgaming-powered casino reported no fewer than five progressive jackpot winners in addition to another nine players who took home $18,000 or more on standard video slot games.

July’s biggest winner at Spin Palace was a player known as S.P. Playing Treasure Nile on July 19th, S.P. lined up enough jackpot symbols to win a nice €52,815.82 (about $68,300) on the 9-payline machine.

Some smaller progressive jackpots won in July at Spin Palace include the €10,985.06 ($14,125) taken by M.D.R. at LotsaLoot when he hit three LotsaLoot symbols on payline 5. Player E.L. won a piece of the Mega Moolah jackpot worth €10,302.20 (almost $13,000) from Mega Moolah Summertime Slot. (The Mega Moolah bonus is now at over $3.8 million, by the way.) And M.B. took one of the smaller Mega Moolah progressive jackpots to start the month by winning $10,015.39.

Finally, the biggest table game winner was surely L.V.D.P. who won €20,000 on the Progressive Cyberstud Poker game there.

Slot players M.W., R.H. and V.L. each registered big wins in July, taking Spin Palace for over $154,000 combined. M.W. was the single largest winner after seeing quite a run on Isis and Fortune Finder slots for nearly $70,000. G.P. also recorded a nice windfall, going for $20,730 on Tomb Raider: Secret of the Sword slot.