SACRAMENTO, October 14, 2003 -- Lottery officials announced the SuperLotto Plus jackpot for Wednesday, October 15, 2003 at $64 million. “While baseball fever grips the midwest and east coasts, Californians are catching Lotto Fever,” said Lottery CEO, Tony Molica. “With $64 million up for grabs, everyone has an equal chance of winning. The best part is that schools will receive $39.3 million from this jackpot.”
A single jackpot winner of $64 million would receive 26 annual payments with the first payment being approximately $1.6 million and the 26th payment being approximately $3.264 million before taxes. The estimated cash value would equal roughly half of the jackpot, $32 million or the amount the Lottery would invest to payout the jackpot prize over 26 years. In the event of the death of a winner, the full prize is paid to the estate of the winner. The retailer would receive $320,000 for selling the winning jackpot ticket.
On September 10, 2003, two winning tickets with the numbers 34, 43, 27, 20, 07 MEGA 6, split a $57 million jackpot. On September 26, 2003, Frank Easterly came forward with a ticket which was sold at Seacliff Plaza Store in Aptos, California claiming half of the jackpot. The other ticket, sold at Kavanagh’s Liquors in San Lorenzo, California worth $28.5 million, remains mysteriously unclaimed. Kavanagh’s Liquors, crowned the “luckiest retailer in northern California” has sold 4 winning jackpot tickets. Retailers receive one half of one percent of the jackpot for selling the winning ticket. Winners have up to 180 days after the date of the draw to claim their prize. The record procrastinator for claiming a jackpot prize was Ruben Montoya who claimed his $11 million jackpot on the 179th day, just 24 hours before the ticket would have expired.
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