The lottery is probably the most popular form of gambling currently existing in the world and there are millions of people buying tickets for various lottery games every single day. The huge success of this game can be explained with the fact that people perceive it as a safer way to amass money in comparison to other gambling games. The chances of winning the big jackpot might not be as high as one could wish, but a person can dream.
$1.6 billion, Powerball
The record jackpot from the US Powerball lottery was split among three winning ticket holders in January 2016. The first party of the winning batch was that of John and Lisa Robinson, who appeared on TV before even receiving their part of the money. One-third of the jackpot was for Mae and Marvin Acosta, who claimed their share of the prize almost six months after the announcement, taking home $528.8 million. The last third of the cash was won by Maureen Smith, a 70-year-old from Florida, who had played with the same six numbers for years prior to her win.
$656 million, Mega Millions
In March 2012 the US Mega Million jackpot was also split among three winning ticket holders. Merle and Patricia Butler, a retired couple from Illinois, became the winner of a third of the whole prize, receiving $218.6 million. The second slice of the top prize was divided among a group of friends from Maryland, that called themselves the “Three Amigos”. To this day the third winner remains anonymous, revealing only that the ticket was purchased in Kansas.
$399.4 million, Powerball
The winner of the impressive jackpot who had the sole winning ticket for the record jackpot in September 2013, was a married man from Columbia, South Carolina. The winner wanted to remain anonymous and South Carolina is one of the six states in the US which gives its lottery winners the right to not reveal their identity. He purchased the lucky ticket at a gas station nearby and brought the fortune to his family.
€154 million, EuroMillions
The astonishing amount of money went straight to Belgium, where the winner of the record jackpot resides. The lucky numbers were chosen in June 2017, but the winner of the jackpot wanted to stay anonymous. It was revealed that he or she has been playing the lottery since 2009 and it all seems surreal at the moment. The winner has not yet decided what to do with all the money, but donation and charity are on the list.
€88.5 million, Eurojackpot
The record jackpot was won in 2017 by a winner located in Ireland. The new Irish millionaire is still anonymous, but he has already contacted the National Lottery to pick up the impressive prize money. Since its establishment in 2004 EuroMillions has brought many people the desired fast fortune.
