Lucky Retiree Wins American Lottery
On March 7, 2018, a 62-year-old retiree, Ushakiran Patel, managed to join the ranks of Indians that have won prizes while playing International lotteries. The lotto in question? The US Powerball lottery, perhaps the most recognizable name in the industry, one that players worldwide have heard of and have likely seen featured in movies and TV shows.
Mrs. Patel claims that she chose her lucky numbers at random (06-13-19-36-51) via the quick-pick option. She also said that she’s quite an infrequent player. Meaning, this is merely a case of lady luck smiling down upon a hard-working individual that’s about to enjoy her golden years, rewarding her with the second-prize in the draw (one million dollars).
As of now, Mrs. Patel says that she has no idea what she will spend her money on, but the win should provide her with enough funds that will add security to her life and enrich her retirement. Though she won one million dollars via one single payment, after taxes and other mandatory withholdings, Mrs. Patel only collected a total of $633,040. Still, not a shabby return on an investment of Rs 300.
Biggest Lottery Winners From India
While Ushakiran Patel's win is impressive, it pales in comparison to that of Laarni Bibal, an American woman of Indian heritage who won a $522 million jackpot through a Mega Millions ticket she purchased at a San Diego Deli Mart. Bibal took a while before claiming her prize and proclaimed that she plans to pay off debts and buy a house with her win.
Nandall Mangal is another US-born player from Staten Island, New York, with roots from India (Guayana, West Indies), who won $245 million from a $6 quick-pick Powerball ticket. Mangal, a regular player, stated that even though he plays often, he would only buy a ticket when jackpots would reach over $100 million. Despite winning a prize advertised as $245 million, he opted to get his winnings via one lump sum of $99,321,975.
When on the subject of the biggest lottery winners from India, we also have to mention Sandeep Singh, the 22-year old who won the Mega Millions jackpot of $30.5 million. He was working at jobs to make ends meet before fate decided that a life of luxury was in his cards. Another famous story includes a husband-wife doctor duo from Mumbai, Ashok, and Kriti Patel, who won the Rs 7.87 crore jackpot prize of the Playwin Super Lotto Jackpot in 2008. The couple bought a ticket while on an anniversary stroll from a street vendor.
International Lotteries You Can Play From India
There is no doubt that at some point in everyone’s life, they dreamt of winning the lottery and how they would spend their winnings. While, in the past, people could only play their local lotteries, today, thanks to the internet, that is no longer the case. Most of the major lotto companies make their participation available to players from every corner of the globe, India included. Since the purchasing, draws, and withdrawals of funds happen digitally, there are few limits as to which lotteries you can play.
We’ve already mentioned Powerball and MegaMillions, US-based lotto draws. EuroMillions and EuroJackpot are European lotteries that Indians can take part in, as well as the Italian SuperEnalotto, and the Spanish El Gordo, as among the more popular choices from this continent.
Big Ticket and the Dubai Lottery are two Arabian options that accept players from all corners, and Mega Sena is the Brazilian state lottery that can offer massive jackpot wins.