Beijinger becomes instant billionaire
Baku, June 14 (AZERTAC). A lottery buyer checks the previous prize numbers Wednesday at the Sanlitun lottery store which sold China’s biggest prize-winning ticket.
The biggest single lottery prize in China has been won by a person who bought the winning ticket in Sanlitun, Chaoyang district.
It is not known if the prize, 570 million yuan ($90 million), has been claimed yet; however the ticket vendor has been inundated by both buyers, hoping for a repeat of the winner's good fortune, and media, hoping to unmask China's newest billionaire.
The winning ticket was a lucky dip in the "Dual-Colored Ball" national draw, which is played three times a week.
The minimum price for a ticket is 2 yuan, however buyers can gamble by raising the stakes if they pay extra money. In this case, the winner paid an extra 220 yuan to potentially multiply his winnings by 110 times.
On Tuesday, the top prize was 5.18 million yuan, according to the BWLC website, which means the winner will receive 110 times the top prize. Another winner in Shunyi district just bought a basic ticket, and will get 5.18 million yuan.
BWLC yesterday refused to say if the lucky buyer had claimed the prize, nor would give further details.
The previous lottery record in China was won in Zhejiang Province last July, with a jackpot of 565 million yuan.
While thousands of Web users bemoaned the fact that they were not the victor, winning a big lottery prize does not necessarily guarantee a happily-ever-after life, as some previous big winners can testify.
Those obsessed with the lottery usually develop signs of psychological addiction which can impact their family relationships, financial situation and other aspects of their life.
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