(ANSA) - Rome, September 17 - The jackpot for Italy's popular
SuperEnalotto game is now the second highest-ever and remains
the biggest up for grabs in the world right today.
The jackpot for Saturday night's draw rose to 140 million
euros ($183.4 million) after no one picked the lucky six numbers
on Thursday, overtaking the previous second-highest pot of 139.1
million euros ($179.4 million) which two slips shared in
February.
SuperEnalotto's all-time record, and a European record,
was a whopping 147.8 billion euros ($190.6 million) won by a
single better in Tuscany in August 2009, a European record.
The Italian jackpot is far greater than that of the world's second-biggest pot being offered by the American Powerball game, some 85.5 million euros ($112 million). According to Agicos, a news agency dedicated to the betting world, Italians are betting close to 12 million euros a day on SuperEnalotto and since the last big pot in February have spent over 1.7 billion euros on the game. The number of slips play has risen 3.6% from last wee, Agicos said.
The Treasury is the biggest winner in SuperEnalotto because it receives 49.5% of all bets made, far more than other national betting games which pay it between 20% and 25%. The pool itself receives 38% of bets, slip vendors receive 8% and game organizers Sisal take a 4.4% cut. Last year SuperEnalotto raked in over 3.3 billion euros, which meant that the state pocketed some 1.6 billion euros. Thanks to SuperEnalotto and the other betting games, the Italian Treasury from January to August took in almost 6.3 billion euros, from over 40 billion euros played. The SuperEnalotto has a big advantage over many other games, especially those in the United States, because it pays out the full prize and winners receive interest on the pot from the time they redeem their slips to when they receive complete payment, which usually takes two months for big payouts. Winners of the American games, on the other hand, receive the pot in long-term instalments, which often work out to be more or less the interest on the capital won over a 20-year period, or a single, reduced prize. In order to win at SuperEnalotto jackpot betters must pick the correct six numbers drawn from one to 90.
Draws are held three times a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The game also offers a big payout for a so-called 5+1 win in which an extra, seventh number is drawn and can be matched up with any five of the six winning numbers. SuperEnalotto also pays out minor prizes for five, four and three correct guesses. Each six-number combination costs 50 cents with a minimum two-combination or one-euro bet.
The Italian jackpot is far greater than that of the world's second-biggest pot being offered by the American Powerball game, some 85.5 million euros ($112 million). According to Agicos, a news agency dedicated to the betting world, Italians are betting close to 12 million euros a day on SuperEnalotto and since the last big pot in February have spent over 1.7 billion euros on the game. The number of slips play has risen 3.6% from last wee, Agicos said.
The Treasury is the biggest winner in SuperEnalotto because it receives 49.5% of all bets made, far more than other national betting games which pay it between 20% and 25%. The pool itself receives 38% of bets, slip vendors receive 8% and game organizers Sisal take a 4.4% cut. Last year SuperEnalotto raked in over 3.3 billion euros, which meant that the state pocketed some 1.6 billion euros. Thanks to SuperEnalotto and the other betting games, the Italian Treasury from January to August took in almost 6.3 billion euros, from over 40 billion euros played. The SuperEnalotto has a big advantage over many other games, especially those in the United States, because it pays out the full prize and winners receive interest on the pot from the time they redeem their slips to when they receive complete payment, which usually takes two months for big payouts. Winners of the American games, on the other hand, receive the pot in long-term instalments, which often work out to be more or less the interest on the capital won over a 20-year period, or a single, reduced prize. In order to win at SuperEnalotto jackpot betters must pick the correct six numbers drawn from one to 90.
Draws are held three times a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The game also offers a big payout for a so-called 5+1 win in which an extra, seventh number is drawn and can be matched up with any five of the six winning numbers. SuperEnalotto also pays out minor prizes for five, four and three correct guesses. Each six-number combination costs 50 cents with a minimum two-combination or one-euro bet.
