SuperEnalotto jackpot at 168.9 million euros
(ANSA) - Rome, October 21 - The jackpot for Italy's popular SuperEnalotto game has reached a whopping 168.9 million euros ($236.9 million), an all-time record for the game and the biggest payout in the world today. Italians this past month have spent over 240 million euros ($336.6 million) in the hope of winning the mind-boggling pot despite the discouraging odds of picking the six winning numbers: one out of 622.6 million.
The last time anyone picked SuperEnalotto's six lucky numbers was in February when two slips split the game's then second-biggest jackpot of 139.1 million euros ($193.9 million).
The previous SuperEnalotto record was 147.8 billion euros ($206 million) won by a single better in Tuscany in August 2009. The world's second-biggest pot today is being offered by the American Mega Millions game, which stands at 72 million euros ($101 million). If there is a big winner on Thursday, SuperEnalotto's jackpot for Saturday's draw will once again be among the highest in the world, over 40 million euros ($56 million), this because of a mechanism which earmarks a percentage of money being bet towards the pot that will follow a big win. Should there also be a Mega Millions winner in Friday's draw, then the SuperEnalotto pot on Saturday would be second only to the one for the US Powerball game, 42 million euros ($59 million).
The Treasury is by far 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. Since the last win in February, over 1.9 billion euros has been played on SuperEnalotto, which translates into more than 950 million euros for the State. Last year was a record for the game which raked in 3.345 billion euros, 1.655 billion euros of which went to the state.
So far this year the game has pulled in more than 2.3 billion euros ($3.2 billion). The SuperEnalotto has a big advantage over many other games, especially the American ones, 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 other games, like those in the United States, 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 previous SuperEnalotto record was 147.8 billion euros ($206 million) won by a single better in Tuscany in August 2009. The world's second-biggest pot today is being offered by the American Mega Millions game, which stands at 72 million euros ($101 million). If there is a big winner on Thursday, SuperEnalotto's jackpot for Saturday's draw will once again be among the highest in the world, over 40 million euros ($56 million), this because of a mechanism which earmarks a percentage of money being bet towards the pot that will follow a big win. Should there also be a Mega Millions winner in Friday's draw, then the SuperEnalotto pot on Saturday would be second only to the one for the US Powerball game, 42 million euros ($59 million).
The Treasury is by far 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. Since the last win in February, over 1.9 billion euros has been played on SuperEnalotto, which translates into more than 950 million euros for the State. Last year was a record for the game which raked in 3.345 billion euros, 1.655 billion euros of which went to the state.
So far this year the game has pulled in more than 2.3 billion euros ($3.2 billion). The SuperEnalotto has a big advantage over many other games, especially the American ones, 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 other games, like those in the United States, 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.