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

Record ID: 572819

  • Title: ITALY: Italians rush to buy lottery tickets as the jackpot rises to 113 million euros
  • Date: 2nd August 2009
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) DANIELE LOZZI SAYING: "I would give a huge amount of money to charity and to hospitals taking care of children, like the "Bambin Gesu". I am not a regular player and this time I am playing on behalf of my friends because I don't believe too much in games like this."
  • Embargoed: 17th August 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAC105AL7WY6YL2UOWA70ZAJYSU
  • 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.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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