A couple from Long Island in the American state of New York was recently overwhelmed by a major lottery win in which they netted over $162 million –but the pair has come under fire from county officials who claim the couple owed nearly $1 million to local taxpayers. The complaint outlines a fraud case in which it is believed that the couple, described by a neighbor as not having “a malicious bone in their body,” granted themselves unauthorized bonuses and participated in other questionable financial activities while they ran local homeless shelters.

The couple has insisted on their innocence and has said that they’d like to start a non-profit organization with part of their winnings, in addition to the luxury car they’ve already purchased and a warm-weather vacation in the works. Though the substantial fees noted in the complaint against the winning couple would be fairly easy to absolve thanks to the major jackpot win, it seems likely that the case will end up in court or otherwise contested until a higher authority is able to make a decision.

The case serves as a reminder to UK National Lottery players and lottery enthusiasts around the world that with the great publicity and excitement of a lottery win can sometimes come ample room for scandal. The couple’s dispute with the state is likely to receive considerable coverage as contention over the funds rages onwards.

Popularity: 10% [?]

In many parts of the world, sales of lottery tickets and other products and services within the gambling sector may be in a steep decline thanks to the chaos of the world’s financial markets. But a gloomy economy hasn’t been able to put a damper on the lottery-happy spirits of New York’s players. The state’s lottery authority recently announced that its revenues have gone up nearly two and a half percent over the past year. In a time when most markets have faced dismal drops in salves and are struggling to make ends meet, the lottery’s revenue is proving to be a valuable source of income for the state.

While most of those bearing witness to the trend are enthusiastic about the potential for fun and amusement that lottery tickets, scratch-off games, and other types of gambling can provide in even the most sour of times, others caution that a dependence upon the games as a source of a saving grace from dire financial circumstances is a poor and possibly harmful practice. Though lottery players from around the world, whether enjoying the UK National Lottery or buying the occasional scratch-off in New York, may benefit from a little wishful thinking, relying on the lottery to put food on the table or save a home from foreclosure is bound to result in sorrow. After all –playing the lottery should engender joy and entertainment, even if a little twinge of disappointment appears when one’s numbers don’t win.

Popularity: 11% [?]

For many lottery players, buying a ticket is more of a routine than a chance decision on the spot at a store, but there are still those who play on an irregular basis, or who rarely if ever purchase a ticket at all. The things that can prompt such players to grab a ticket vary greatly; it may be the case that idea suddenly pops into someone’s head, or a ticket might be purchased if a friend is getting one, too. And of course, there’s always the old suggestion of running out to buy a ticket when everything seems to be going just right on a given day. For a recent $1 million winner in New York, however, the inspiration came from an unlikely source: images of cute kittens displayed on an advertisement for the game.

The whimsy of the feline nudge to play has been matched by the winner’s personal story. Just 21 years old and a student at a local community college, the winner plans to spend his prize to help his parents cut down their bill payments and to take a trip to Mexico. Though hearing about the personal triumph of a UK winner who plays every game or who has been at it for decades is always a bit heartwarming, it’s also fun to observe those players who, on the spur of the moment, opted in and won a jackpot. Every winner, whether in New York or the heart of London, has a story. What will yours be?

Popularity: 5% [?]