Kansas Lottery

Kansas Lottery officials say ticket sales topped $235 million in the latest fiscal year, up 2.13 percent from the previous year. Figures for the fiscal year that ended June 30 were released Wednesday. The lottery reports that it transferred $69 million to the state general fund from the sales. Executive director Ed Van Petten said the numbers are close to the 2007 sales record of $240 million. The lottery also said casino activities generated about $29.5 million for the state general fund.

A Pratt woman was thrilled when she won a NASCAR prize package for this weekend. That feeling soon turned to disappointment when the Kansas Lottery took the prize back. “I'm sure dreams do come true for some, but not for me,” said Pratt resident Leisa Mauch. Mauch's dream in this case was to get to the Kansas Speedway.  “Kyle Busch, Kyle Busch is my guy!” For a few days, she thought she had the winning ticket. The Kansas Lottery sent her a letter and it said: "Congratulations from the Kansas Lottery!

Temperatures are rising and so are the Kansas Lottery jackpots!  The estimated jackpot for tonight's Mega Millions drawing is $154 million with a cash option of $115.2 million.  Mega Millions is drawn every Tuesday and Friday. Powerball and Hot Lotto are both drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays.  The estimated Powerball jackpot for tomorrow night's drawing is $270 million with a cash option of $175.8 million.  The Hot Lotto jackpot is an estimated $6.11 million with a cash option of $4.72 million.

A former homeless man who hit the jackpot is paying it forward. Josh Keesling won $75,000 from a Kansas Lottery scratch off ticket. After receiving his check, he gave the cashier who sold him the ticket a $100 bill. He said he is overwhelmed with his newfound wealth. "I slowly saw the seven, and then the five, and then the zeros," Keesling said. "And I just started freaking out. " He told Eyewitness News that his girlfriend didn't believe he had won at first. Keesling plans to use the money to start a college fund for his three children.

The Kansas Lottery says parents should not buy lottery tickets as Christmas gifts for their children. Lottery tickets and scratch cards end up in some children's stockings.  Because of a growing concern about adolescent problem gambling, the Kansas Lottery along with several other organizations want to increase awareness about the impact of giving lottery tickets to minors. A recent study shows that 19% of high school students received lottery tickets or scratch cards as gifts.

The Holiday Millionaire Raffle game is back! The Kansas Lottery begins selling tickets at 5:00 a.m. Saturday, October 1st and the lottery is also offering Early Bird drawings with 10 chances to win $10,000. It's not unusual for the Holiday Millionaire Raffle tickets to quickly sell out. Read the Press Release from the Kansas Lottery below:                                   Holiday Millionaire Raffle Sales Begin October 1 - With Ten Chances to Win $10,000 in Early Bird Drawings!

If you played the Kansas Lottery recently, you way want to check your Holiday Millionaire Raffle tickets.  Two $50,000 cash prizes remain unclaimed from the December 30, 2010 drawing.  The winning raffle numbers are: 11761 and 83959.  Both raffle tickets were sold in northeast Kansas. Players have 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim an online tickets.

Two casino developers will be considered by the Lottery Review Board for a contract in Sumner County. Wednesday the Kansas Lottery approved contracts with the Peninsula Gaming and Global Gaming. Those contract will now move on to the review board for final consideration. The one casino project missing is Harrah's. Harrah's pulled out of the process Wednesday, but will not exactly say why. Harrah's spokesman Gary Thompson says the developer withdrew its plan for a casino near the Mulvane exit of the Kansas Turnpike after discussions with the Kansas Lottery.

Persistence has finally paid off for a southeast Kansas couple.  A husband and wife from Montgomery County won a $1,065,106 jackpot on a $2 Super Kansas Cash ticket Wednesday night. The winners, who asked not to be identified, said they have bought tickets for years. “We've been playing Kansas Lottery games since the beginning of the lottery,” the winners said. “Our daughter always gave us a hard time about 'wasting money.' Now, here we are!” The couple will take home $745,574 after taxes.

We'll begin with what you can expect to see on the ballot because there has been some confusion. Proposition #1 reads:  "Shall the Kansas lottery be authorized to place electronic gaming machines in Sedgwick County?" The first proposition is referring to the casino. Proposition #2 reads: "Shall the Kansas lottery be authorized to place electronic gaming machines in Sedgwick County?" We've received calls to our newsroom from advance voters concerned the second proposition is too vague.

Temperatures are rising and so are the Kansas Lottery jackpots!  The estimated jackpot for tonight's Mega Millions drawing is $154 million with a cash option of $115.2 million.  Mega Millions is drawn every Tuesday and Friday. Powerball and Hot Lotto are both drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays.  The estimated Powerball jackpot for tomorrow night's drawing is $270 million with a cash option of $175.8 million.  The Hot Lotto jackpot is an estimated $6.11 million with a cash option of $4.72 million.

A former homeless man who hit the jackpot is paying it forward. Josh Keesling won $75,000 from a Kansas Lottery scratch off ticket. After receiving his check, he gave the cashier who sold him the ticket a $100 bill. He said he is overwhelmed with his newfound wealth. "I slowly saw the seven, and then the five, and then the zeros," Keesling said. "And I just started freaking out. " He told Eyewitness News that his girlfriend didn't believe he had won at first. Keesling plans to use the money to start a college fund for his three children.

Persistence has finally paid off for a southeast Kansas couple.  A husband and wife from Montgomery County won a $1,065,106 jackpot on a $2 Super Kansas Cash ticket Wednesday night. The winners, who asked not to be identified, said they have bought tickets for years. “We've been playing Kansas Lottery games since the beginning of the lottery,” the winners said. “Our daughter always gave us a hard time about 'wasting money.' Now, here we are!” The couple will take home $745,574 after taxes.

Someone in Southwest Kansas became a millionaire this weekend. The Kansas Lottery says a Powerball ticket sold for the Saturday drawing is worth a million bucks. The ticket matched the first five numbers, but not the Powerball. The numbers from Saturday's drawing are: 3-22-26-41-49 Powerball 18 The ticket was sold in the Southwest region, which includes Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Ness, Rush, Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, Hodgeman, Pawnee, Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Gray, Ford, Edwards, Kiowa, Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade, Clark, and Comanche counties.

Holiday shoppers may be after a new item tonight... a Powerball ticket!     The $325M drawing is the fourth largest jackpot in Powerball history. "You got to buy the tickets because if you don't buy the tickets you don't really believe you can win and it's happening to everybody else, so why not you?" asked Veronica Bradford, a Mike's Steakhouse regular. Bradford has won the lottery two times at Mike's Steakhouse on South Broadway.  Her relatively small wins keep her coming back for more.

A Pratt woman was thrilled when she won a NASCAR prize package for this weekend. That feeling soon turned to disappointment when the Kansas Lottery took the prize back. “I'm sure dreams do come true for some, but not for me,” said Pratt resident Leisa Mauch. Mauch's dream in this case was to get to the Kansas Speedway.  “Kyle Busch, Kyle Busch is my guy!” For a few days, she thought she had the winning ticket. The Kansas Lottery sent her a letter and it said: "Congratulations from the Kansas Lottery!

Kansas is getting ready for a new version of Powerball, the nation's longest-running multi-state lottery game, coming January 15, 2012. The change is designed to create bigger jackpots,  and better overall chances of winning.   The change will affect Kansas players who like to purchase tickets for consecutive, or multiple, drawings. To prepare, the Kansas Lottery is "stepping down" the number of consecutive drawings players can purchase on Powerball multi-draw plays between November 26, 2011, and the first drawing of the new Powerball, January 15, 2012.

The Holiday Millionaire Raffle game is back! The Kansas Lottery begins selling tickets at 5:00 a.m. Saturday, October 1st and the lottery is also offering Early Bird drawings with 10 chances to win $10,000. It's not unusual for the Holiday Millionaire Raffle tickets to quickly sell out. Read the Press Release from the Kansas Lottery below:                                   Holiday Millionaire Raffle Sales Begin October 1 - With Ten Chances to Win $10,000 in Early Bird Drawings!

The Supreme Court strikes down a state statute making so-called “gray machines” illegal under Kansas gaming law. The justices ruled the law was unconstitutionally broad because it could include every mechanical device from spinners for children’s games to a personal computer that has the capability of being used for gambling. The decision came in a lawsuit by three people who own or lease amusement game machines in Wyandotte County. Plaintiffs David A. Dissmeyer, Lester L. Lawson, and Terry Mitchell, amusement game owners or operators, filed the suit to enjoin the Kansas Lottery from enforcing a statute making it a felony to own or operate the gray machines.