Italians grabbed by lottery frenzy as record jackpot hits nearly euro116 million
By APTuesday, August 4, 2009
Italians hunt for record lottery jackpot
ROME — A record jackpot of €115.9 million ($166.7 million) has sent Italians into a lottery frenzy that has spread to neighboring countries and even local, cash-strapped municipalities.
Millions of tickets were bought ahead of Tuesday’s draw in the hope of guessing the winning, six number combination of the state lottery’s SuperEnalotto game.
No one has hit the jackpot since January, causing the prize to increase to the highest level in Italy’s history. So far, Italy’s largest single lottery prize is the €100 million won in the Sicilian city of Catania last year.
Residents from nearby European countries are crossing the border to buy tickets. News reports say mayors of some small towns are also trying their luck to improve city finances.
