#lottery jackpots

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. | Who won the lottery? Why some states allow winners secrecy

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. — Like the location of Jimmy Hoffa’s body, the secret formula for Coca-Cola and whether there are aliens in outer space, the identity of the winner of the second-biggest lottery in American history may remain hidden forever — because of where the person bought the ticket.

South Carolina is one of a handful of states that play Mega Millions and allow winners to be anonymous.…

DES MOINES, Iowa | Lottery office pools increase odds and possibly headaches

DES MOINES, Iowa — A group of New Jersey construction workers noticed that the sixth member of their lottery pool had abruptly left work. Turns out, he had a lottery ticket worth $38.5 million and claimed he bought the winning ticket separately with his own money.

With the record Mega Millionsjackpot now at a record $1.6 billion, it may seem like perfect sense to pool money with co-workers or…

DES MOINES, Iowa | Mega Millions jackpot hits $1B, thanks to worsening odds

DES MOINES, Iowa— If it seems like lottery jackpots are getting larger and larger, it’s because they are getting larger and larger.

Friday night’s Mega Millions estimated grand prize has hit a staggering $1 billion, continuing a trend of giant jackpots. It’s the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history and joins five other top 10 drawings in the last three years.

Lottery officials changed the…