A long-time lottery player who had never won more than $1,000 previously hit the big time with a scratcher ticket which won $5 million.  James Smythe, who bought and scratched the ticket on Wednesday, went directly to the lottery offices and cashed in his ticket within 3 hours of discovery.

Families prove lucky this week with a visiting father winning $3 million.  Mother mother and son teams in the US and the UK also posted big lottery wins.

Lotto New Zealand netted $560 million from its sales of Lotto, Powerball and Strike tickets for the year ended June 2013.  An amazingly high 63% of people 15 years or older purchased one or more of the lottery tickets in the past year.

A Frenchman earning a little below the minimum wage in salary purchased lottery tickets with the simple wish of taking a holiday with his family and buying a camping car to watch the Tour de France. 

The Cash 5 game in Pennsylvania made a man $325,000 richer on the January 08 draw.  The man who has declined to be identified bought the winning ticket at Lavery’s Convenience Store in Waterford Township.

Not as well-reported as other lotteries is the Superlotto which operates in the Caribbean territories of Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados, St Kitts & Nevis, Anguilla, Antigua, St Maarten and the US Virgin Islands. 

Lady luck has visited a 21-year old college student from Valencia named Lindsay Sharbutt.  She initially thought the instant ticket she had won a $1,000 prize and was excitedly planning to pay off credit card debts. 

William Bracken, a Florida resident went to visit his son in Greenwich NY.  It was on that visit when he gave his son Christopher $50 to purchase five ten-dollar lottery tickets for him. 

The El Gordo Lottery draw usually spreads Christmas cheer in all areas of Spain.  This year, however, a bit of controversy has surfaced to dampen the spirits of some of the winners.

Mary Eisenband, from New Jersey, buys lottery tickets wherever she goes.  And on a trip to Georgia to visit relatives, she decided to buy a ticket at Pilot Travel Center on state route 48 in Pleasant Hill, N.C,