Jackpot

TRI-STATE - "Mega Millions" were the words on nearly everyone's lips Friday afternoon as they approached the cashier at Central City Liquors on Dual Highway, and with jackpots in two multistate lotteries approaching record levels, that's exactly what they were hoping to receive. Friday night's jackpot for Mega Millions, a lottery that spans 12 states including Maryland and Virginia, was estimated at $206 million. Meanwhile Powerball, a similar game played in 29 states including Pennsylvania and West Virginia, plus Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands, was estimating tonight's jackpot at $300 million.

Cash 5 Jackpot winner Barbara Jeanette hugs Earl's Market owner Joe Lesko on Wednesday in State Line, Pa. Jeanette purchased her winning Pennsylvania Lottery ticket at Lesko's business on July 28. Representatives from the Pennsylvania Lottery presented Jeanette with a ceremonial check for the jackpot valued at $395,698.

A 66-year-old woman from Sharpsburg is Washington County's latest lottery jackpot winner. The woman claimed a $625,000 Multi-Match jackpot Friday, according to a press release from the Maryland Lottery. She correctly matched all six numbers in the Feb. 11 drawing. “I found out I won late Monday night when my twin sons woke me up with the news,” the woman said in the release. “They came knocking on my door screaming that I had hit the jackpot.” The woman's sons checked her ticket online and saw that all her numbers matched.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - A Sandy Spring, Md., man landed a record jackpot at the Charles Town Races Monday night when he won $239,893 on a video lottery machine at the thoroughbred track. Al Napolitano won the jackpot on a progressive video lottery machine, where a percentage of each credit played on the machine goes into a shared jackpot. About 2 percent of every 75 cent credit played on the machines goes into the jackpot, and there are 16 progressive video lottery games, said Ted Schieffer, director of gaming operations at the track.

"Mega Millions" were the words on nearly everyone's lips Friday afternoon as they approached the cashier at Central City Liquors on Dual Highway, and with jackpots in two multistate lotteries approaching record levels, that's exactly what they were hoping to receive. Friday night's jackpot for Mega Millions, a lottery that spans 12 states including Maryland and Virginia, was estimated at $206 million. Meanwhile Powerball, a similar game played in 29 states including Pennsylvania and West Virginia, plus Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands, was estimating tonight's jackpot at $300 million.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The economic crunch has drastically improved for one lucky Powerball player who bought a ticket in South Carolina. Lottery officials said Thursday a Powerball ticket sold in South Carolina matched all six numbers drawn to win the midweek jackpot worth nearly $260 million. A news conference was planned Thursday at a Columbia store where the ticket was sold. Amber Baldwin, assistant manager at the Murphy USA store, says the store is buzzing with excitement and ticket sales have risen since the winning ticket was announced.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. Two weeks after a Hot Lotto ticket worth $8.47 million was sold at an Eastern Panhandle store, no one has claimed the prize. The ticket was sold at the State Line Market in Bunker Hill, W.Va., for the March 18 drawing. "Someone should have shown up," said store cashier MaryAnn Cupano, who sold the winning ticket. "It's like, where did they go?" The winning numbers in the March 18 drawing were 1, 8, 10, 23 and 33, and the hotball was 11. Hot Lotto winners have 180 days to claim their prize money, West Virginia Lottery spokeswoman Libby White said.

BALTIMORE - More and more Maryland Lotto winners are choosing to cash out, or collect a discounted lump sum cash settlement of their winnings instead of continuing to receive annuity checks. Lester Martin, 74, of Waynesboro, Pa., and his two sons hit the Lotto jackpot nine years ago. On Friday, Martin picked up his final check and talked to Maryland State Lottery officials about how his life has changed after winning. His sons, David Martin, 48, and Carroll Martin, 51, have decided to continue receiving annuity checks.

Powerball could come to Maryland By LAURA ERNDE laurae@herald-mail.com A bill that could bring the Powerball lottery game to Maryland won a state Senate committee's approval Thursday. Maryland Lottery Director Buddy W. Roogow has asked the legislature for permission to talk with other states and other countries about joining their large-jackpot lottery games. continued Current law limits Maryland Lottery to one multi-jurisdictional game, which is the Big Game.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. Three of 19 stylists at Hair Cuttery in Charles Town had to be begged to contribute money to buy 360 Powerball tickets earlier this week, but it's likely none are complaining now - after taxes, each will take home more than $30,000 in winnings. One of the 360 tickets matched the first five numbers of Wednesday's Powerball drawing - 7, 21, 43, 44 and 49. The Powerball number on the ticket was 34, but the winning number was 29, according to a press release from the West Virginia Lottery Commission.