ITALY: Italians rush to buy lottery tickets as the jackpot rises to 113 million euros

Record ID: 572817

Title: ITALY: Italians rush to buy lottery tickets as the jackpot rises to 113 million euros
Date: 2nd August 2009
Summary: PEOPLE ENTERING A TOBACCONIST
Embargoed: 17th August 2009 13:00
Keywords:
Location: Italy
Country: Italy
Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
Reuters ID: LVA4OEJ36IGTIZFN5SVAMKQWO50T
Story Text: Italians have been rushing to buy last minute lottery tickets as the jackpot rises to 113 million euros.
Lottery hopefuls placed their last bets on Saturday (August 1) as the jackpot rose to a record 113.5 million euros after months without a winner.
As the annual the summer holidays began many Italians were trying their luck filling in bets in shops and tobacconists.
"I would give a huge amount of money to charity and to hospitals taking care of children," Daniele Lozzi told Reuters in his local tocacconist.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's bodyguards were reportedly seen buying tickets on Thursday, although they refused to comment on whether they were buying for the prime minister.
The winner, if there is one, will be announced tonight, Saturday, at 18:30 gmt.
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