MADISON (WITI) — The Wisconsin Lottery is urging players to think twice before giving out personal information to anyone who contacts them and says they have won a lottery prize.

The Lottery has heard from several players who recently have been contacted about supposedly winning a special 2^nd Chance drawing or other similar drawings.  The caller has attempted to get them to provide money and personal information in order to “process” their prize claim.

The special drawing does not exist.  The caller is a thief.

“Be suspicious of calls out of the blue that seem too good to be true,” said Mike Edmonds, Lottery Director.  “Don’t let the idea of a big prize cloud your judgment and lead you into a big mistake.”

Edmonds says there are ways you can protect yourself:

• Be wary of anyone who says you’ve won a prize in a game or drawing you never entered.

• Know that legitimate lotteries will NEVER ask you to pay a fee to collect a prize.

• Think twice before providing bank account numbers, credit card numbers or Social Security numbers over the phone, especially to someone you don’t know.

• Be suspicious of “urgent” solicitations that suggest you will lose a prize if you don’t act immediately.

The Wisconsin Lottery will never contact players to tell them they’ve won a prize, unless they have entered a second-chance or special event drawing.  The Lottery will never ask for personal bank information as a prerequisite to claiming a prize, or require players to pay a fee or make special additional purchases to claim a prize.

If you’re suspicious of a caller please contact the Lottery at (608) 261-4916, or send an email to info@wilottery.com.

GREEN BAY (WITI) — The Green Bay Packers and the Wisconsin Lottery on Monday, July 28th announced details of this year’s Wisconsin Lottery Packers offering: three scratch-off games with a grand prize of two Champions Club season tickets and home playoff game tickets for the 2015 season.

The grand prize also includes a parking pass to each home game for the 2015 season and two pregame sideline passes for Packers-Bears and Packers-Vikings home games during the 2015 season.

Three different scratch-off tickets will be offered – a $1, $3 and $5 ticket, with the $5 ticket having a cash prize of up to $45,000.

The $1 “Go Packers!” ticket, the $3 “Green Bay Packers” ticket and the $5 “Champions Club” ticket are available now throughout the state. Players who don’t win instant cash prizes can mail in $5 worth of non-winning tickets from the three games for the bonus drawing.

The grand prize winner, who will win the two Champions Club season tickets, will be selected through the bonus drawing. The drawing for the tickets will be held in March 2015.

The bonus drawing will also select first and second place prize winners. The first place prizes feature 95 pairs of tickets to Festival Foods MVP Deck or Miller Lite Lounge, which include access to all-inclusive food and non-alcoholic beverages. First place winners will also receive one of 95 officially licensed NFL helmets autographed by a current Packers player and Packers Pro Shop gift cards. Second place winners will receive one of 100 Packers Pro Shop gift cards valued at $500.

Lottery director Mike Edmonds and Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy talked about the new games during a Monday news conference in the Champions Club at Lambeau Field.

“We’re happy to be working with the Wisconsin Lottery for a fifth season of games,” said Murphy. “It’s great to see our fans win season tickets and we’re excited that in 2015 our grand prize winner will be able to experience gameday in the Champions Club and have the opportunity to spend time on the sidelines as we prepare to face two of our biggest rivals.”

Retailers are pleased with the new offering as well.

“The Packers games are popular with lottery customers as shown by the fact that more retailers than ever – over 3,100 – are offering the games this year,” Edmonds said.  “Once we say: ‘Packers scratch tickets’, the blitz is on.”

This is the fifth time the Lottery and the Packers have worked together on Packers-themed games. Revenue from Packers scratch games provides property tax relief for Wisconsin homeowners.

More information on the Wisconsin Lottery Packers games is available online at www.wilottery.com.

MADISON (WITI) — The Wisconsin Lottery set an all-time record with $568.8 million in ticket sales in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014, Wisconsin Lottery Director Mike Edmonds announced today.  The $568.8 million tops the previous record of $565.6 million set in 2013, making three consecutive years of record sales.

“It was another good year for taxpayers and for thousands of business owners and lottery players throughout Wisconsin,” Edmonds said. “Lottery retailers received over $38 million in commissions.  Players took home more than $280 million in prizes during the year, including eight $1 million winners.”

The $568.8 million in sales generates $160 million in property tax relief for Wisconsin homeowners, down $4 million from the prior year.  Edmonds said fiscal year 2013 was an extraordinary year for Powerball, with two jackpots over $500 million.  Powerball has higher profit margins than other games, which contributed to higher net operating income last year.

Wisconsin Lottery Sales

            *estimated & unaudited; in millions, rounded

Sales were up for instant games, partially due to the introduction of a $30 scratch ticket. Due to the lack of large jackpots in fiscal year 2014, Powerball sales alone were down 24%. However overall lotto sales were helped by the addition of 5 Card Cash, a new $2 lotto game introduced in April.

MADISON (WITI) —The Wisconsin Lottery’s three jackpots have grown to be worth more than half a billion dollars!

Mega Millions’ Tuesday night (November 4th) jackpot is estimated at $321 million ($194.1 million cash). The $321 million jackpot is the eighth largest in Mega Millions history and the 20th largest lottery jackpot ever. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1:258.9 million.

Powerball’s Wednesday night (November 5th) jackpot is estimated at $178 million ($111.1 million cash). The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1:175.3 million.

Megabucks’ Wednesday night (November 5th) jackpot is estimated at $13.7 million ($9.5 million cash). Megabucks is a jackpot game played only in Wisconsin with drawings every Wednesday and Saturday. The odds of winning the Megabucks jackpot are 1:7 million.

Winners at all prize levels have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes.

SHEBOYGAN (WITI) — A $100,000 Wisconsin Lottery Holly Jolly Raffle ticket was sold at Adithi Inc. in Sheboygan this week.

The Lottery drew 1,051 winning Holly Jolly Raffle ticket numbers on Thursday from the 100,000 tickets sold. Winning tickets include one $100,000 winner; 50 $1,000 winners; and 1,000 $100 winners.

The $100,000 winning ticket number is #055179. It was sold at Adithi Inc., 2709 North 15th Street, Sheboygan

All 1,051 winning Holly Jolly Raffle numbers are available now on the Lottery’s website, wilottery.com. The complete list of winning numbers will be available at Lottery retailers in the next couple of days.

Players can claim their Holly Jolly Raffle prizes beginning Friday.

The $100,000 top prize winner and 50 $1,000 winners must claim their prizes in person at the Lottery’s Madison or Milwaukee offices, or by mail. $100 winners may claim their prizes at Lottery retail locations.

To claim by mail, players should obtain a claim form from a Lottery retailer or redemption center, or print one from the Lottery’s website. The completed claim form along with the player’s signed original ticket (no copies) should then be mailed to:

Prize Payments, Wisconsin Lottery, Madison, WI 53774.

All Holly Jolly Raffle winning tickets are valid for 180 days from yesterday’s drawing. The odds of winning the $100,000 top prize were 1:100,000.

DELAVAN, Wis. (AP) — A group of 21 co-workers in southeastern Wisconsin is sharing a $1 million lottery prize.

The group recently claimed the prize from the Mega Millions ticket that matched all five numbers Oct. 17.

The co-workers from the Pentair plant in Delavan had been buying weekly lottery tickets for about 14 years.

Anthony Kienast buys the tickets each week —$2 per person per play — for the group of first-shift welders and assemblers who build pressure tanks.

He tells The Janesville Gazette a lot of his co-workers “couldn’t believe it” when he told them they had won.

After taxes, each winner received about $32,000.

The winning ticket came from Stinebrink’s Piggly Wiggly in Delavan. The store also gets $20,000 for selling the ticket.

MADISON (WITI) — Wisconsin Lottery has three growing jackpots with a total of $398.8 million up for grabs!

Mega Millions’ Friday night (January 9th) jackpot is estimated at $221 million ($144.8 million cash).  The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are approximately 1:258.9 million.

Powerball’s Saturday night (January 10th) jackpot is estimated at $162 million ($105.5 million cash).  The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are approximately 1:175.3 million.      

Megabucks’ Saturday night (January 10th) jackpot is estimated at $15.8 million ($11.3 million cash), the third highest jackpot in the game’s history and the game’s highest cash option ever!  Megabucks is a jackpot game played only in Wisconsin, with drawings every Wednesday and Saturday.  The odds of winning the Megabucks jackpot are approximately 1:7 million.

Winners at all prize levels have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes.

MADISON (WITI) — One lucky player matched all five numbers in the Badger 5 drawing on January 30th to win the night’s $99,000 jackpot.

The lucky winner purchased their ticket at A & I Services at 5030 West Howard Avenue in Milwaukee.

Friday’s winning Badger 5 numbers were 2, 6, 15, 17 and 20. The Badger 5 jackpot is estimated at $19,000 for the Monday, February 2nd drawing.

Winners at all prize levels have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prizes by mail or in person at the Lottery’s Madison or Milwaukee offices.

MADISON (WITI) — Two lucky players matched all five numbers in the Badger 5 drawing on February 11th to split the night’s $66,000 jackpot. The winners purchased their tickets at:

• Village Market – 9719 East Main Street in Poplar
• Lieungh’s On Lathrop – 1933 Lathrop Avenue in Racine (which also had a $10,000 winner in Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing) 

Wednesday’s winning Badger 5 numbers were 2, 7, 16, 19 and 24. The Badger 5 jackpot is estimated at $10,000 for the Thursday, February 12th drawing.

Winners at all prize levels have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prizes by mail or in person at the Lottery’s Madison or Milwaukee offices.

In related news, Damir Zoric of South Milwaukee is the lucky winner of the $159,000 jackpot from the Saturday, February 7th Badger 5 daily lotto game.  His winning ticket matched all five winning numbers of 4, 10, 11, 14 and 22.

Zoric purchased his lucky ticket at Elljay Corporation – 1700 East Rawson Avenue in South Milwaukee.

Badger 5 is a $1 daily lotto game with jackpots that start at $10,000 and grow a minimum of $1,000 a day until they are won. Players win the rolling jackpot by matching their five numbers to the five winning numbers drawn each night.

RACINE (WITI) — The frenzy was hot on these cold Wisconsin temperatures on Wednesday, February 11th, as buyers of Powerball tickets hoped to be the half a billion dollar-plus winner. No one matched all those numbers in the state, but a Wisconsin Powerball ticket holder is $1,000,000 winner.

“I got up this morning and I saw that someone in Racine had won the million dollars and I thought ‘oh, cool’. And I got to work and I punch the number into the lottery machine to bring it up and all of a sudden the ticket popped up and it said that the million dollar winner was sold here at Durand Mart and I was like ‘Oh yeah!” said Jodi Peterson, works at Durand Avenue Mart in Racine.

And the excitement hasn’t subsided in the store. Everybody’s talking about the $1,000,000 winner, but we don’t know who actually bought that ticket. Robin Craig Gillespie came back to the store to cash-in what she thought was a $4 winning.

“Four dollars, you got four dollars? Well that’s what I thought it was, but it was $20! Wow,” said Gillespie.

Although Gillespie is sarcastic, she is still hopeful as her son bought a ticket too, but he’s being a bit cagey about it.

“Did he buy it here though? I don’t know if he did or not, he won’t tell me. That’s a real mystery. I hope he did anyway,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie said she’ll give FOX6 News a call if her son is the winner.

For selling the $1,000,000 ticket, Durand Avenue Mart in Racine will get some cash as too. But, they’re still trying to figure out from the lottery people just how much that is.

GRAFTON (WITI) — One lucky player matched all five numbers in the Badger 5 drawing on February 16th to win the night’s $56,000 jackpot.

The lucky winner purchased their ticket at Citgo Super Sales – 1185 Port Washington Road in Grafton.

Monday’s winning Badger 5 numbers were 13, 14, 19, 21 and 23. The Badger 5 jackpot is estimated at $10,000 for the Tuesday, February 17 drawing.

Winners at all prize levels have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prizes by mail or in person at the Lottery’s Madison or Milwaukee offices.

The odds of winning the Badger 5 jackpot are 1:169,911.

RACINE (WITI) — You may have heard the popular phrase “lightening doesn’t strike the same place twice.” Whoever said that hasn’t been to Racine recently!

The city of Racine is like many affected by the struggling economy. But thanks to a stop at the Durand Avenue Mart, for some, their luck has recently changed!

For the second time in two weeks, the BP gas station convenience store sold a winning Powerball ticket.

“I thought they were teasing. Then when we found out it was real, it was way more exciting. Two $1 million winners in two weeks,” Diane Peterson said.

It’s no joke, but it has customers and cashiers smiling. On February 11th, a $1 million ticket was sold and eventually cashed in. Now, there’s another one!

“This is unheard of. The lottery people say this never has happened before. Not this close together,” Peterson said.

Diane and Coy Peterson have owned the store for 15 years, and they’ve always done a brisk lottery business with their regulars. Since the first winner, workers say lottery ticket sales have doubled.

So what about the previously so-called “Miracle Mile” in Fond du Lac County? Is there a new “Miracle Mile” in Racine County?

“This is it right here. The man upstairs just made a change and this is it!” Peterson said.

Of course, the Durand Avenue Mart won’t be paying the $1 million winner. That has to be done through the state, but those who work there hope the winner comes in to check their ticket, and that they get to share in the winner’s excitement!

SHEBOYGAN (WITI) — Brian Hoopingarner has come forward as the lucky winner of the $100,000 top prize from the December 11th Holly Jolly Raffle drawing.

The winning ticket was purchased at Adithi Inc., 2709 North 15^th Street in Sheboygan. 

The winning Holly Jolly Raffle number from December 11th was 055179.   There were also 50 winners of $1,000 in the drawing, and 1,000 winners of $100.

The Wisconsin Lottery will offer a new raffle in May 2015.

WAUKESHA (WITI) — Luke Sullivan of Waukesha is the lucky winner of the $1,000,000 prize from the Friday, February 27th Mega Millions drawing.  The winning ticket was purchased at Speedway, 400 Summit Avenue in Waukesha. 

The winning Mega Millions numbers from Friday, February 27th were 7, 49, 53, 60, and 64, with a Mega Ball of 4. The Megaplier number was 2.  The winner matched five out of five numbers, but not the Mega Ball.

The odds of winning the $1 Million prize are one in 18,492,204.

MADISON (WITI) — Attention animal lovers: Your dog’s photo could be featured on Wisconsin Lottery scratch off tickets!

Wisconsin Lottery Top Dog contest

The Wisconsin Lottery began accepting dog photos Monday, March 16th at 8:00 a.m. and will continue accepting photos through Friday, March 27th at 4:00 p.m.

Once the photos are collected, it will be time to vote for your pup!

Voting runs from Monday, March 30th through Friday, April 10th.

The five dogs with the most votes will be featured on an upcoming “Top Dog” scratch off ticket that will be made available in August 2015.

The parents of the pups that win will receive a $100 Visa gift card, a framed voided scratch off ticket featuring their dog and $20 worth of “Top Dog” scratch off tickets!

Are you ready to submit your pup’s pic? Here’s what you need to know:

Photos must be a head shot of just one dog — with no humans or other animals in the photo.

The photo must have a plain, light-colored or white background, and must be of digital or 35 mm quality.

The dog must be living with you, and owned by you.

CLICK HERE to submit your pup’s pic!

MADISON (WITI) – Voting is underway as of Monday, March 30th in the Wisconsin Lottery’s “Top Dog” photo contest!

Earlier this month, Wisconsin residents sent in current photos of their canine companions.  Now, the Lottery is asking for your help in picking the top five dogs to be featured on its newest scratch ticket – Top Dog – which will launch in August.

Voting will close on Friday, April 10th at 4:00 p.m.

Here’s how to vote:

• Go to the Lottery’s website at wilottery.com and click on the Top Dog feature on the top of homepage.  This will take you to voting on the Lottery’s Facebook page.
• Find your favorite pooch and check the “Vote” box
• One vote per Facebook account allowed in a 24-hour period
• Each dog will stay on the same voting page throughout the contest
• Vote by Friday, April 10th at 4:00 p.m.
• Encourage family and friends to vote!

In addition to having their dog featured on the new scratch ticket, the top five winners will also receive a $100 VISA gift card, a framed sample Lottery ticket featuring their pooch, and $20 worth of Top Dog instant scratch tickets.

Wisconsin Lottery Top Dog contest

GREENFIELD (WITI) — One lucky SuperCash! player matched all six numbers in the April 6th drawing to win the $350,000 top prize.

Monday’s winning SuperCash! numbers were 11, 14, 17, 26, 32 and 35.  The top prize ticket was purchased at Pick ‘n Save – 4279 South 76th Street in Greenfield.

SuperCash! is a daily lotto game played only in Wisconsin.  Players try to match the six winning numbers drawn each night from a field of 39 numbers for a chance to win $1, $30, $500 and the top prize of $350,000.  After the six numbers are pulled, another drawing called the “doubler” takes place to determine if all other prizes in the game double (excluding the top prize).

Winners at all prize levels have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prizes by mail or in person at the Lottery’s Madison or Milwaukee offices.

MADISON (WITI) — Two lucky players matched all five numbers in the Badger 5 drawing on Monday, April 13th to split the night’s $65,000 jackpot.

One lucky winner purchased their ticket at Redbird BP – 1850 Dickinson Road in De Pere.  The other winner purchased their ticket at J & P Oil – 7952 Highway 41 in Caledonia.

Monday’s winning Badger 5 numbers were 1, 11 17, 26 and 30. The Badger 5 jackpot is estimated at $10,000 for the Tuesday, April 14th drawing.

Winners at all prize levels have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prizes by mail or in person at the Lottery’s Madison or Milwaukee offices.

MADISON (WITI) — The Wisconsin Lottery  announced Tuesday, April 21st the five canines that will star on the new Top Dog instant scratch ticket which launches in August.

The Lottery received 2,375 submissions in the Top Dog contest and those with the most votes were chosen as the winners.

The owners will also receive a $100 VISA gift card, a framed sample Lottery ticket featuring their pooch, and $20 worth of Top Dog instant scratch tickets.

As part of the contest, the Lottery will be making a $1,000 donation to the Wisconsin Humane Society, which is the state’s largest shelter.

Wisconsin Lottery Top Dog contest

MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Michael Knutson of Milwaukee is the lucky winner of the $92,000 jackpot from the Saturday, May 9 Badger 5 daily lotto game.

Knutson’s winning ticket matched all five winning numbers of 11, 12, 18, 21 and 26.  He purchased his lucky ticket at Speedway – 4225 West Burnham Street in Milwaukee.  The Badger 5 jackpot is estimated at $22,000 for the Monday, May 11 drawing.

Badger 5 is a $1 daily lotto game with jackpots that start at $10,000 and grow a minimum of $1,000 a day until they are won. Players win the rolling jackpot by matching their five numbers to the five winning numbers drawn each night.