The $3 million Florida Lottery ticket sold last week in Deerfield Beach?

The winner is Gilberto Souza, 50, of Miami.

The Lottery has been on a hot streak at Broward venues. The $3 million hit a few days after (I had incorrectly written "before") a $28 million ticket was sold in Hallandale Beach. No person has yet to step forward for that ticket, although I haven't been able to reach a co-worker since that day (I'm kidding).

Souza, chose the one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,741,176. He bought it at Kwik Stop, located at 1320 S. Federal Highway in Deerfield Beach. The winning numbers were: 02 - 19 - 25 - 26 - 36 - 40.

Souza is the 85th Florida Lotto jackpot winner to purchase a winning ticket in Broward County. To date, there have been more than 960 jackpot winners statewide since 1988.

Webcasts of Florida Lottery drawings are available on the Lottery’s Web site at flalottery.com.

And, I'm announcing two things: 1.) Please bookmark me at www.sun-sentinel.com/action and 2.) We have a game, called "What comment did Billy make that I deleted?" Enjoy!

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Boy, this is getting fun.

Just four days after a $28 million Lotto ticket hit in Hallandale Beach, the Florida Lottery today says a ticket sold in Deerfield Beach matched matched the six winning numbers in Wednesday's drawing and will win the $3 million jackpot.

The numbers were: 02 - 19 - 25 - 26 - 36 - 40.

Like Saturday's winner, this one was a Quick Pick.

It was sold at Kwik Stop, 1320 S. Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach.

And on top of that, a Miramar man claimed his $500,000 prize from an Oct. 27 Mega Money drawing, the Lottery announced Monday.

"Broward is certainly having a streak of lottery winners," the Lottery's Shelly Safford said.

Including last night's $3 million jackpot winner, there have been 85 jackpot-winning Florida Lotto tickets purchased in Broward County since 1988. Last night's winning ticket marks the third Lotto jackpot-winning ticket this year from Broward County. Also, since January, 60 top-prize winning Fantasy 5 tickets and five Mega Money jackpot-winning tickets have been sold in Broward County.

The next drawing is at 11:15 Saturday and will be for $3 million. Webcasts of Florida Lottery drawings are available on the Lottery’s Web site at flalottery.com.

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The Florida Lottery today announced that Peterson Acluche, 52, of Miramar, claimed the Oct. 27 $500,000 Mega Money jackpot.

According to a press release, Acluche chose the one-time, lump-sum payment option for $351,705.25. He bought the ticket at Skylake Citgo, located at 1590 N.E. Miami Gardens Drive in Miami. The retailer received $1,000.

The winning numbers were: 04 - 11 - 12 - 16 and the Megaball was 07

According to Acluche, he found out he won two days after the drawing when he checked his numbers.
“My wife didn’t believe me at first,” he told Lottery officials. “She only believed me when she saw the numbers on the computer.” Acluche plans to use his winnings to buy his wife the car of her dreams and help his fellow church members.

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The Florida Lottery jackpot zoomed up there in recent days, and someone who was in Hallandale Beach recently will be happy about that.

The Lottery announced today that one ticket matched the six winning numbers in the Saturday Florida Lotto drawing and will win the $28 million jackpot. The winning numbers were 04 - 07 - 29 - 34 - 50 - 51.

The winning ticket was sold at Racetrac, 3031 SW 31st Ave., in Hallandale Beach. It was a Quick Pick.

This retailer will receive a bonus incentive of $70,000 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.

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If you bought a lottery ticket in Palm Beach County about six months ago, then check your pockets. And if you bought a ticket this week in PBC, you might be a winner.

Read on:

The Florida Lottery announced that a Fantasy Five top-prize ticket worth $70,814.43 remains unclaimed. The 180-day limit to claim the top prize expires at midnight Tuesday.

The winning Fantasy 5 numbers for the April 30, 2009, drawing were:

10 – 11 – 28 – 33 – 35

The winning ticket was sold at: Publix, 11977 Southern Boulevard, Royal Palm Beach.

Players who may have purchased Fantasy tickets at Publix in Royal Palm Beach are encouraged to check their tickets for the April 30 drawing, the lottery said. While any Florida Lottery retailer can validate the winning ticket, the Fantasy 5 jackpot must be claimed at a Florida Lottery district office or at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee. Players may obtain additional information by calling the Player Information Line at 850-921-7529 or visiting the Florida Lottery’s website at flalottery.com.

Meanwhile, someone hit the Fantasy 5 last night in Palm Beach County. The winning ticket is worth $202,127.13.

The numbers were 12 - 22 - 25 - 27 - 33 and it was sold at Mr. Shipper, 6586 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.

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(Updated from Tuesday)

The Florida Lottery announced Thursday the winner of $900,000, who matched all four numbers plus the Megaball in Tuesday's Mega Money drawing. It got lost in the big news of the $189 million Powerball winner.

Howard Kemp, 56, of Davie won the $900,000 jackpot.

The numbers were 02 - 06 - 12 - 33 and the Megaball was 17.

(As I posted earlier, I'm a basketball guy, so No. 2 is Larry Johnson, No. 6 is Julius Erving, No. 12 is Dwight Howard or John Stockton, No. 33 is Larry Bird, and No. 17 is John Havlicek. Pretty good team.)

The winning ticket was sold at Nova Royal Mart, 3690 SW 64th Ave. in Davie. The retailer will receive a bonus incentive of $3,000 for selling the jackpot winning ticket.

Lottery officials said Kemp chose to take a lump-sum payment of $640,254.60.

Kemp plans to use the cash to pay off his Davie home and retire on his 40-acre property in Madison, according to officials. (Apparently he declined to have his photo taken; state Sunshine laws dictate only that a winner's name, age and hometown be released. From there on, it's up to the individual.)

While I wish that money would stay here in Broward, I gotta say live well, Mr. Kemp. Enjoy.

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The $189 million Powerball winner in Orlando Saturday? The odds were in our favor in Florida.

Florida is No. 1 among the 30 participating states (and the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands) for Powerball sales, selling about 15 percent of all tickets, said Chuck Strutt of the Multi-State Lottery Association.

"It's just a statistical likelihood that the state would have more winners," he says.

He didn't have a figure for ticket sales, but by my math: with about $3.25 billion in sales a year, that means we sell more than $9 million a week in tickets.

Of those sales, 40 percent goes to state education, 10 percent goes to retailers' sales commissions, vendors and operational expenses, and 50 percent is paid back out in prizes.

While Saturday's jackpot winner was the first since Florida added Powerball in January, we've already had 13 $1 million winners. Those are players who have picked five of five numbers but not the Powerball. But they did pick the Power Play option -- which makes for an automatic $1 million.

But it's not as intriguing as a $189 million winner -- who still hasn't come forward.

"We’re glad we’ve had this winner," said the Florida Lottery's Laurie Wright. "This is what we’ve been waiting for."

The Powerball winner needs to travel to Tallahassee to turn in the ticket and claim the cash. The Orlando Sentinel's Gary Taylor says he has a rumor that the winner is associated with SunTrust Bank. If so, he's gotta get with Mr. Drysdale.

By state law, they have to reveal their name, hometown and age. Anything else, it's up to the Lottery folks to persuade them to spill. It's in the Lottery's best interest: A good, human story makes us think it could happen to us -- so we buy more tickets.

Back to the data about Florida Powerball ticket sales. Why do you think we're No. 1? Do we like the game that much? Do we have no slots in most of the state, so it's our big thrill? Are we suckers? Or optimists?

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Hey, was anyone up in Orlando yesterday, and did you stop and buy a Powerball ticket?

If you stopped at Sandlake Chevron, you might be jumping up and down right now. (Click on the map and figure out what theme park is closest, help me out on that one, folks?)

The Florida Lottery announced that one player matched all five numbers and the Powerball in Saturday's drawing; hitting for about $189 million. It's the first Florida Powerball jackpot hit since the game came to the state in January.

The winning numbers were: 12 - 24 - 48 - 50 - 57 and the Powerball was 22.

The winning ticket was sold at Sandlake Chevron Food Mart, 7331 W. Sandlake Road, Orlando.

Powerball is the mega-jackpot lotto game that is played in 30 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game is administered by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). The game’s starting jackpot is $20 million, and increases with each rollover if no one matches all five numbers plus the Powerball.

Powerball his hit eight previous times this year, and the $189 million is the third-highest jackpot of the year. There was a $259 million hit Aug. 19 in South Carolina and a $232 million in South Dakota on May 27. I follow it a lot but am nowhere near the Lottery Guru. That's Gary Taylor of the Orlando Sentinel, who does a lottery blog called Mr. Lucky. The Orlando Sentinel also tracked down the guy who sold the winning ticket, and the paper's Bianca Prieto wrote him up today. They also note that to get the entire $189 million, the winner must agree to take annual installments for 30 years. If you want it all right now, the lump-sum payment will be $101,160,403.68. Federal income taxes -- millions, perhaps one-third of the payout -- will be computed based on which option the player takes.

The Lottery had expected it to be about $193 million and used that estimated figure, but the actual sales now put it at $189 million (either way I'll take it). In some ways, it's fitting for Orlando to be the site of the state's first winner: As part of the agreement to join Powerball, the MUSL agreed to have the televised drawings emanate from Orlando this year.

But on the other hand, wouldn't it stink if the winner weren't from Florida? Or worse yet, some tourist from another country?

Or does it not matter to you? Just curious.

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Another advancement in self-service: Now there are vending machines for lottery tickets at South Florida supermarkets.

The Florida Lottery has been installing 1,000 machine statewide, starting in August in Tampa and Fort Myers. The machines have 24 games, including Monopoly and Million Dollar Blockbuster, ranging in price from $1 to $30 and take bills only.

They are the instant scratch-off games, meaning that you don't get to pick your own numbers. (Or, what we learned in kindergarten: "You get what you get and you don't get upset.")

Independent contractors hired by the lottery are installing machines at 26 Publix stores and 3 Winn-Dixies this week in Broward County. Palm Beach County is likely next week. When exactly your store launches has some wiggle room: After the independent contractors set up the electrical portion of the machines, another contractor comes a day later to put in the tickets. (One complaint when the Lottery tried vending machines from 1997-2001 was that the machines didn't stay fully stocked. Imagine going to buy a Coke and seeing a "Sold Out" light.)

A Publix in Weston was among the first supermarkets up and running, and did about $600 in business Tuesday, employees said. (I can't quote them directly unless I go through Publix corporate.)

Zoe Pirella, a regular player who pledges to give at least a 10 percent tip to the counter person if she ever hits a jackpot over $1 million, bought a ticket from the counter Wednesday morning, but says she'll try the vending machine during busy times.

"It'll be quicker if there's a long line," she said.

While the supermarkets can place soft drink and even DVD machines near their entrance, the lottery machines must be near the customer service area, because employees have a kill switch nearby if the person buying tickets is suspected to be under 18. The machine then reboots in six minutes.

The instant machines have prompted some complaints, including from Pat Fowler of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. She said the machines will enable compulsive gamblers to go from store to store because they're embarrassed about how many tickets they buy.

This comment from Publix: "Publix offers the lottery to our customers as a service; however, we do not endorse or promote the lottery," emailed Kim Jaeger of Publix's Miami division.

Parimutuel owners also point out that the lottery pays out only 50 percent of what it takes in; horse racing, dog racing and jai-alai pay back about 80 percent and slots return 90 cents of each dollar to players. But lottery helps education, so you can argue you're being noble...

A few more numbers: There will be 185 ITVMs are being placed in the Miami District (which includes Miami-Dade, Monroe and Broward counties) and approximately 115 in the West Palm Beach District (which includes Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. The Lottery will release the exact locations later.

Overall, the scratch-off games have been down slightly, and some attribute it to Powerball coming to the state this year. Officials hope the machines will boost business. Other states have had the vending machines for years, and it helps sales.

So, the usual question applies: Will these machines affect your playing habits?

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Check your dresser for any discared lottery tickets. And your car. And your pants pockets.

The Florida Lottery announced Friday that a Fantasy 5 ticket worth $81,825.63 remains unclaimed. The ticket was sold at a Publix on Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

The 180-day limit to claim the top prize expires at midnight Sept. 2.

Here were the numbers from the March 6 drawing. Check to see if you play them regularly:

01 – 06 – 12 – 18 – 34

The winning ticket was sold at Publix, 1415 E. Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale. (I've been in there, but didn't buy a ticket. It's a relatively new Publix in the east part of town.)

Players may obtain additional information by calling the Player Information Line at 850-921-7529 or visiting the Florida Lottery’s Web site at flalottery.com.

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Timothy P. Haggerty of Lighthouse Point turned in a $2 million ticket today, the Florida Lottery announced.

The winning Mega Money Quick Pick ticket was purchased at 7-Eleven, located at 2391 N. Dixie Highway in Pompano Beach.

Haggerty bought the ticket on Saturday and staked his claim in Tallahassee Tuesday.

Haggerty chose the one-time, lump-sum payment option of 1,385,810. The retailer received $7,000.

Our clips show that 23 years ago, a 34-year-old Timothy Haggerty (I'm making a phone call to see if they are one and the same, but...) got into a five-year litigation with the city over a code violation involving his mail box, and it was fodder for a handful of stories.

The city claimed Haggerty`s mailbox, a construction of auto parts and scrap metal, was a traffic and safety hazard, and ordered him to remove it. He refused, claiming he had a right to express himself by building any type of mailbox he wanted. But our story archives say that he took the box down while the matter was going through the legal process.

He also ran for Pompano Beach city commission in 1986, and while he didn't the paper's endorsement he was described as "articulate."

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Somebody stopped into a Pompano Beach 7-Eleven this week and now will be $2 million richer.

The Florida Lottery announced today that one player matched all four numbers plus the Megaball in the Friday Mega Money drawing.
The winning numbers: 06 - 29 - 35 - 44. The Megaball was 22.

It was a Quick Pick ticket at 2391 N. Dixie Highway, in Pompano Beach. The retailer will receive a bonus incentive of $ 7,000 for selling the jackpot winning ticket.

Webcasts of Florida Lottery drawings are available on the Lottery’s Web site at flalottery.com.

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When the Firecracker Millionaire game rolls around next year, and if you live in Palm Beach County, you should think about playing it.

It certainly has been lucky.

A second winner -- of only seven in the state -- surfaced Wednesday to claim a $1 million prize. He's Ernest Vasiliou, 50, of Lake Worth.

Vasiliou purchased his winning ticket at Publix, located at 5970 S. Jog Road in Lake Worth, the Lottery said.

I wrote earlier this week about Kristen Gallant, 35, of Greenacres, who was among three $1 million winners to come forward late Monday afternoon.

Rather than try to match numbers, the Lottery guaranteed seven $1 million winners on July 4. It's the state's fifth annual millionaire raffle.

The two others announced were James Kenneth Bush, 50, of South Daytona, and Stephen Quinley, 35, of Jacksonville.

In the regular Florida Lottery, some weeks might yield a winner, and some might not. But in a raffle, winners are guaranteed.

A limited number (750,000) of tickets, at $20 each, were sold to make the prize pool. The odds of winning $1 million were 1-in-107,143. The game also was set up to have nine $50,000 winners, 11 $5,000 winners and 1,000 players with $500.

The winners announced Wednesday also included Peggy Socha, 57, of Largo and Kenny Ferrer, 33, of Deltona. There's still one unclaimed ticket, sold on U.S. 19 in the town of Holiday.

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Kristen Gallant, 35, of Greenacres was among three $1 million winners to come forward late Monday afternoon.

The game was called the Firecracker Millionaire Raffle. Rather than try to match numbers, the Lottery guaranteed seven $1 million winners on July 4. It's the state's fifth annual millionaire raffle.

Gallant, who frequently plays Florida Lottery games, said she usually doesn’t check her tickets right away to see if she is winner, but this time she had a lucky feeling, she told Lottery officials.

“I had to look twice at the computer screen, I just couldn’t believe it,” Gallant said in the Lottery's release. She purchased her raffle ticket at Shell Gas Station, located at 5050 Lake Worth Road in Greenacres.

The two others announced were James Kenneth Bush, 50, of South Daytona, and Stephen Quinley, 35, of Jacksonville.

In the regular Florida Lottery, some weeks might yield a winner, and some might not. But in a raffle, winners are guaranteed.

A limited number (750,000) of tickets, at $20 each, were sold to make the prize pool. The odds of winning $1 million were 1-in-107,143. The game also was set up to have nine $50,000 winners, 11 $5,000 winners and 1,000 players with $500.

For more information about the promotion or the Florida Lottery, visit www.flalottery.com.

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The Florida Lottery announced today that Florida Lotto winner Jeffrey Thomas Youel, 47, of Sunrise, claimed the $6 million jackpot drawn on June 20.

Youel chose the one-time, lump-sum payment of $3,348,662. The winning Quick Pick ticket was purchased at Publix, located at 13700 State Road 84 in Davie. The retailer received a bonus incentive of $15,000 for selling the ticket.

The winning numbers were:
04 - 23 - 29 - 38 - 45 - 52

Youel is the 83rd Florida Lotto jackpot winner to purchase a winning ticket in Broward County, according to the Lottery. To date, there have been more than 950 jackpot winners statewide.

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So the Lottery and the parimutuels can get along...

The Florida Lottery announced today that two players matched all five winning numbers in Sunday's Fantasy 5 drawing. They'll split $176,878.24 ($88,439.12 each).

The interesting part is that one of the winners was via a Quick Pick at Palm Beach Kennel Club. The winning numbers: 06 - 13 - 15 - 22 - 24

The Lottery is fun, but I find it interesting that a person would take that in addition to dog racing, simulcasting and poker. So the question out there for those who hit the paris: How many of you play the Lottery?

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In the Florida Lottery, some weeks might yield a winner, and some might not.

In a raffle, winners are guaranteed.

So the Florida Lottery has brought back the raffle concept and the Firecracker Millionaire Raffle, which was popular last year. Seven players will become millionaires and 1,020 players will win $500 to $50,000.

But tickets are $20. They went on sale in May and are limited to only 750,000 statewide.

In addition to making seven players new millionaires, the Lottery is working with Travelocity to offer players who purchase their tickets by June 3, the opportunity to instantly win one of 60 three-night cruises to their destination of choice, according to a Lottery press release.

A cruise horn will play on the Lottery terminal, a prize alert symbol will appear on the Firecracker ticket, and a prize coupon will print, indicating an instant win.

The odds of winning $1 million are 1-in-107,143. Players holding the first seven numbers drawn will each receive the top prize of $1 million. Players holding the next nine winning numbers will each receive $50,000; the next 11 winners will each receive $1,000; and the final 1,000 winners will each receive $500 – for a total prize payout of $8,005,000.

Ticket sales will end once the 750,000th ticket is sold or at midnight on July 3, whichever occurs first.

All winning numbers will be available on the Florida Lottery’s Web site at about 3 p.m. July 4.
For more information about the promotion or the Florida Lottery, visit www.flalottery.com.

If tickets sell out, the game will generate approximately $5.5 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF), the Lottery says.

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Bad news if you live in anywhere but... Winner, South Dakota. Honest.

The Florida Lottery today announced that Wednesday's Powerball winner came not from our population-drenched state, but from the state famous for Mount Rushmore.

(Oxymoron? Lucky person in South Dakota?)

The winning numbers were: 05 - 06 - 12 - 16 - 21 and the Powerball was 07. The Power Play multiplier was 3.

From The Associated Press:

The winning ticket was sold in Winner, S.D., a ranching and farming town of 2,800 people.

Only two retailers sell Powerball tickets in town: the Ampride and Lil' Feller convenience stores. The seller of the jackpot ticket won't be announced until the winner comes forward, he said. The business that sold the ticket gets $50,000.

But there were still some nice payouts in Florida (by the way, I'm always amazed at how the technology had the Powerball billboard on my way to work reset by this morning, I should write about that):

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With the Powerball jackpot zooming past $222 million, you could argue the numbers are actually now on your side as we head into Wednesday's 10:59 p.m. drawing.

That's pretty hard to say in a game that carries a 1-in-195 million chance of winning.

Look at it this way: If you could buy up every possible Powerball combination of the 59 white balls and 39 red balls, it would cost $195 million. But you'd be guaranteed of winning the jackpot.

Bet $195 million to make $222 million. Gamblers call it an overlay.

Of course, two other factors come into play that stop people (OK, the very rich) from doing that: 1.) You get taxed and 2.) Someone else might hit the jackpot, too, and you'd have to split that $222 million -- resulting in a net loss for you. (Personally, I play high numbers, over 31, so I won't have to split with the people who play birthdays.)

Best advice? Buy one ticket, or maybe two.

WPLG-Ch. 10 airs the winning numbers in the first 10 minutes or so of its newscast.

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You'll have to try again for the largest lottery jackpot in Florida's history.

The Florida Lottery Sunday announced that no one hit Saturday's Powerball drawing, which was at $192 million and counting. Ticket sales spike when the jackpot get large, so now the big prize is at $222 million -- and growing.

The next drawing is at 10:59 p.m. Wednesday.

The winning numbers were: 19 - 23 - 34 - 52 - 57 and the Powerball was 21.
(You know, Johnny Unitas wore No. 19., Michael Jordan was 23, Walter Payton was 34, I'll be 52 in a couple of years and I usually shoot 57 for nine holes of golf. Darn!)

Channel 10 carries the Lottery drawings on a short tape-delay on its newscast and more info it at flalottery.com.

Powerball is a multi-state, mega-jackpot lotto game that is played in 30 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Florida added the game this year.

It is the largest Powerball jackpot in more than a year. The last Powerball jackpot to go this high was a $275 million jackpot on March 15, 2008.

Our Lisa Huriash reported Saturday on Powerball frenzy, and we had a Q-and-A.

There still were some prizes in Florida drawn Saturday. According to the lottery:

1 player matched five numbers, winning $200,000.

1 player matched four numbers plus the Powerball, winning $10,000.

196 players matched four numbers, each winning $100.

357 players matched three numbers plus the Powerball, each winning $100.

11,183 players matched three numbers, each winning $7.

5,345 players matched two numbers plus the Powerball, each winning $7.

35,679 players matched one number plus the Powerball, each winning $4.

74,741 players matched only the Powerball, each winning $3.

35,420 players added Power Play and matched one of the non-jackpot winning combinations listed above, multiplying their winnings by 5. Of those, two Power Play players won $1 million by matching five numbers.

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This is why we got Powerball. To dream the dream.

The largest Powerball jackpot in the history of Florida is at stake Saturday, estimated at $192 million.

For those who don't know, Powerball is a mega-jackpot lotto game that is played in 30 states, including Florida, which added it in January. It is in addition to the Florida Lottery, which gets a cut of the tickets you buy here.

The game’s starting jackpot is $20 million, and increases if no one matches all five numbers plus the Powerball. Well, the Powerball jackpot has rolled over 12 times since April 11, resulting in the largest lottery jackpot nationally for the 10:59 p.m. drawing Saturday. (Channel 10 airs the winning numbers on tape-delay during its newscast. If I'm them, I promo the heck out of this on Saturday.)

With tickets still being sold, the number is fluid, but when these jackpots get large, the ticket sales soar. It always amuses me that when the prize is at, say, $20 million, people don't play. But when it gets into the hundreds, they sell even more tickets, because that's serious money.

Dislaimer paragraph: To nail Powerball, you'll need five of 59 numbers, then the one red Powerball (out of 39). That's a 1 in 195,249,054 chance.

If no one hits Powerball in the next few weeks, we have a chance at the all-time Powerball record, not just the highest every in Florida. In 2006, $365 million was shared by eight co-workers in 2006 at a meatpacking plant in Lincoln, Neb.

More information and past winning numbers are at FloridaLottery.com, Powerball.com or MUSL.com.

Got a gambling problem? 1-888-ADMIT-IT. (1-888-236-4848.)

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Sayed Eltahir of Miramar doesn't waste any time: He hit for $1 million Thursday night and drove right to Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee to claim it this morning.

“The whole family is so excited,” he said, according to Lottery officials. (I'm trying to reach him to get more from him.)

Big winners have to go to Tallahasse, claim the prize in person and the Lottery does due diligence on them.

The 52-year-old won in the Billon Dollar Blockbuster Scratch-Off game. He's the ninth player to hit a $1 million prize; a Leesburg man hit the $10 million earlier in the week (see below).

Eltahir chose the one-time, lump-sum payment option of $650,000. He purchased his winning ticket from Frank’s Deli, 2100 45th St., Suite B-26 in West Palm Beach.

The new $20 Scratch-Off game, offers the highest cash payout of any game in the Lottery’s 21-year history. The game launched on Feb. 24, and features more than $1 billion in prizes, including 10 instant-win prizes of $10 million.

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The Florida Lottery announced today that two players matched all five winning numbers in the Sunday's Fantasy 5 drawing, and they're both South Floridians.

They'll share the $175,646.62 top prize ($87,823.31) each.

The winning numbers were: 08 - 23 - 24 - 32 - 33

They were sold at Publix, 5855 W. Oakland Park Blvd., in Lauderhill and at $ Saver, 2200 Lake Ida Road #E2 in Delray Beach.

So, check those tickets.

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If you happened to be driving through Naples in mid-November and bought a lottery ticket, do some double-checking.

The Florida Lottery announced today that a $24 million Lotto jackpot ticket remains unclaimed. The 180-day limit to claim the top prize expires at midnight May 11.

In case you don't remember, here were the numbers: 07 – 11 – 20 – 30 – 45 – 53. You know, if you had a 53-year-old son born on July 20 and a 45-year-old daughter born on Nov. 30, THESE ARE YOUR NUMBERS!

The winning ticket was sold at: Racetrac as a Quick Pick, at 3725 Pine Ridge Road, Naples.

Any Florida Lottery retailer can validate the winning ticket, but you have to still have it. Then you would go to Tallahassee to claim the money. I would be happy to drive you.

Questions? Call 850-487-7787 or go to flalottery.com.

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A 40-year-old Coral Springs man won the $500,000 Mega Money jackpot, the Florida Lottery announced today.

Vincent Ausanio, 40, of Coral Springs, claimed the April 17 jackpot today. He chose the one-time, lump-sum payment option of $365,133.50.

The winning Mega Money Quick Pick ticket was purchased at Publix, located at 411 S. Cypress Road in Pompano Beach. The retailer received a bonus incentive of $1,000 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the Lottery said.

The winning numbers were:

19 - 23 - 41 - 44 and the Megaball was 17

That's five numbers, with the lowest being 17... so, do you play low numbers next time, figuring they're due?

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Trying his luck before heading to an Easter egg hunt provided profitable for Juan Alcocer, and I bet he hopped up and down like a bunny.

Alcocer, 36, of Pompano Beach, hit for $1 million Sunday in the Billion Dollar Blockbuster Scratch-Off game. He told Lottery officials on Monday that he stopped in to buy his ticket at Sample Road Operating, 250 E. Sample Road in Pompano Beach, before going to an Easter egg hunt.

The Billion Dollar Blockbuster Scratch-Off game has a top prize of $10 million. Tickets are $20 each. It's the seventh time the $1 million prize has hit, including last month for an 86-year-old Coconut Creek man.

The game launched on Feb. 24, but nobody has yet hit the $10 million prize. Odds of winning: 1-in 6,552,000. The odds of winning the $1 million are 1 in 546,000.

Alcocer (who declined further comment and the Lottery's photo op) chose the one-time, $650,000 lump-sum payment option. Lottery officials say Alcocer stated he worked in the construction industry.

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So, a person enduring financial hardship hits the lottery, but... gets only $600.

That's the suggestion by the Tennessee legislature, according to one news report. The idea is for those who have less money to burn to not spend it on the lottery.

Rep. Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) introduced the bill and according to one TV station, says: “If you can't afford the bare necessities and if you rely on the government for the bare necessities of life, you shouldn't be taking what money you do have and blowing it on the lottery."

Boy, I'm mixed on this one. What do you think? Too much government? Or a necessary way to help people from themselves?

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Here's what our economy is coming to: Even The Florida Lottery is handing out coupons.

The lottery sent a coupon flyer to 7.8 million homes last week, with buy-one, get-one-free offers and information on a new "second-chance" drawing. Lottery sales are down about 7 percent from last year, and there's a need to generate interest in some of its lesser-known games, said the Lottery's Jackie Barreiros.

"We're not just Powerball and Lotto," she said. "People sometimes forget that."

The tickets are for: Buy-one get one for $1 scratch-off, $2 scratch-off, Fantasy Five and Mega Money tickets; $2 off any $5 scratch-off ticket; $5 off a Billion Dollar Blockbuster ticket.

Total savings: $12.

The Lottery's goal was to deliver coupons to every household in the state. If you didn't get your coupons, go to the district lottery office in West Palm Beach, she said. But you have to sign for them.

"We’re just not handing them out blindly to everyone," she said.

The sales effect: "Too soon to tell."

My take: It's not quite like getting free money but it sure cuts into the percentages. With the lottery games overall taking 50 percent of what you wager, a two-for-one makes it an even bet.
By the way, horse racing pays back 80 percent and slots more than 90 percent.

The lottery also is promoting the Billion Dollar Blockbuster second-chance game. You go to FlaLottery.com, register your non-winning Billion Dollar Blockbuster ticket, with name and e-mail address; they start drawings on April 6 and email you if you win.

It's the first time since 1996 coupons have been issued.

So, will the coupons entice you to play more? I haven't played in years, but now the price is right.

Also, since you're here on the gambling blog, check my main page and skim through all the other articles about local casinos, the state legislature and the compact and a goofy way to calm your poker nerves.

And if you want to just go totally crazy, just bookmark me. I think it's worth your time.

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An 86-year-old Coconut Creek man claimed a $1 million prize at Florida Lottery headquarters Monday morning, according to the lottery.

The man, Murray Eisenberg, purchased his winning ticket from Publix, located at 4760 W. Hillsboro Blvd. in Coconut Creek.

Eisenberg won in the Billion Dollar Blockbuster Scratch Off. Joanna Raulerson, 52, of Fruitland Park, also won. It's the second and third Lottery players to claim a $1 million prize in the recently launched Scratch-Off game, which costs $20 per ticket.

Lottery officials described Eisenberg as a "very private" person. By state law, lottery winners' names are public, and the Lottery e-mails a mass-media release after each winner to let the public know when a prize has been awarded, officials said.

Eisenberg chose a $650,000 one-time lump-sum payment rather than $50,000 a year for 20 years.

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We reported about the Powerball ticket sales on Sunday, and now here's the deal on finding out whether you've won, according to the Florida Lottery:

Beginning Tuesday, Florida Lotto and Mega Money drawings will be moving to a new time, 11:15 p.m. Tickets for Florida Lotto and Mega Money may continue to be purchased until 10:40 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

The overall schedule:

POWERBALL Wed. and Sat., 10:59 p.m. ET
FLORIDA LOTTO Wed. and Sat., 11:15 p.m. ET
MEGA MONEY Tues. and Fri., 11:15 p.m. ET
FANTASY 5 Daily, 11:15 p.m. ET
PLAY 4 Daily, 1:30 p.m. ET and 7:57 p.m. ET
CASH 3 Daily, 1:30 p.m. ET and 7:57 p.m. ET

Also beginning January 6, Florida Lottery TV carrier stations will air the live drawings, show the drawings within minutes of the live drawings, or display on-screen the winning numbers from the drawings. Viewing times and the type of coverage vary by station.

All Florida Lottery winning numbers will continue to be available at all Florida Lottery retailers, on the Lottery’s Winning Numbers hotline at (850) 921-PLAY, and on the Lottery’s Web site at www.flalottery.com. Additionally, players will continue to have 24-hour access to the drawings via Webcasts posted on the Lottery Web site. And, players can now register on the site to receive winning numbers and other Florida Lottery information via e-mail or text messaging.

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Powerball, the multistate game with jackpots that often cross $100 million, starts in Florida on Jan. 4. The first drawing is Jan. 7.

The odds are astronomical, as current Florida lottery players say, but there's still the dream.

So, how will it affect what you play now?

(Not sure if the 'comments' portion of this blog has been fixed. My apologies. If not, email me at nsortal@sun-sentinel.com and I'll put up the comments later today.)

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Now you can mix the gambling of poker with that of golf, on a golf course.

The World Series of Golf involves poker-type bets -- raise, check or fold -- with how you're playing a particular hole.

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When I go to the track, I’ll put $5 to win on a horse if I like it. If I love a horse, I’ll shell out $10 or $20.

But I can’t imagine anybody in their right mind doing the same thing with their Lotto picks.

As in, “I really like my chances of hitting the 4-11-17-26-39-44 this week. So I’m going to put $3 on those numbers, not just $1.”

Yet that’s what the state is about to allow, in an effort to boost Lotto revenues.

Starting March 5, the Florida Lottery will let Lotto players increase their potential winnings by selling add-on bets to each set of picked numbers.

Those who play the minimum $1 will be eligible for the standard jackpot pool. Those who play for $2 will get an additional $10 million if their numbers hit. And those who play for $3 will get an additional $25 million if they pick all six numbers.

My reaction: Anybody who buys the add-on has to be nuts.

Lotto is already the biggest sucker bet going. For somebody to double or triple their bet on a 23 million-to-1 shot is madness. Shame on the state for trying to boost revenues this way.

Here’s what would have been a better idea: Lowering the minimum bet to 10 cents.

It’s something racetracks have done with longshot gimmick bets such as superfectas. By lowering the minimum, people can get much more bang for their buck, as in 10 different combinations instead of 1.

Imagine if you could get 50 sets of Lotto numbers, not just five, for your weekly $5 quick pick.

That’s something even a sporadic Lotto player like myself could get on board with, even if it meant getting a smaller share of a jackpot.

What do you think? Do you play Lotto? And will you plunk down the extra buck or two for the add-on jackpot?

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