SACRAMENTO, February 26, 2001 -- California's SuperLotto Plus jackpot once again heats-up to a fever's pitch as the jackpot surges to $60 million. "Brisk sales and no one matching five numbers plus the MEGA number has grown the jackpot from it's starting point at $7 million to its current state of $60 million," said Lottery Director Joan Wilson. "Public schools will benefit by this jackpot with an additional $32 million." The winner of this jackpot, will join the ranks of the California Lottery's 1,215 SuperLotto multi-million dollar winners.
The California Lottery currently has the largest lottery jackpot in the country. A single jackpot winner of $60 million would receive 26 annual payments with the first payment equaling approximately $1.5 million and the 26th payment being approximately $3 million before taxes. The estimated cash value would equal roughly half of the jackpot, $30 million or the amount the lottery would invest to payout the jackpot prize over 26 years. The last $60 million jackpot was won on February 19, 2000 and was split by three winning tickets that matched the winning combinations and 34 winners. A retailer who sells a single winning ticket for the $60 million jackpot will receive a commission of one half of one percent or $300,000. In the event of the death of a winner, the full prize is paid to the estate of the winner.
Time is running out for a ticket worth $11 million sold at Albertson's in Upland, California that will expire on March 1, 2001, the 180th day deadline to claim the prize drawn last September 2. The prize will automatically be transferred to public education if a winner does not come forward to submit a claim. With at least 34% of all Lottery sales going to education, the sales from the current jackpot (which has rolled 6 times since February 3, 2001) will generate an estimated $32 million for public education. California's schools have received $12 billion from 34% of Lottery sales since 1985.
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