Who Want's to Go To Italy??

[elevated_u2_fan]

Italy's Record Jackpot Climbs To Euro135.9 Million As Lotto Fever Spreads Across Europe

Italy's record-breaking state lottery on Thursday once again disappointed millions of Italians as well as foreigners who had crossed the border to join the hunt for the rising jackpot.

No one guessed the winning six-number combination of the Superenalotto game and the highest prize ever offered by the Italian lottery grew to euro135.9 million ($194 million).

Germans, Austrians and other foreigners headed into Italy to play the lottery before the draw, including some who flew into Milan for a few hours just for a chance to win euro131.5 ($186 million) Thursday night.

Germany's top-selling Bild newspaper said 140 passengers aboard a chartered Air Berlin jet won a phone-in contest for free airline tickets aboard an early afternoon flight from Berlin to Milan's Malpensa airport.

Besides the free seats, the winners were treated to a heaping plateful of pasta, a cup of espresso and the opportunity to buy Superenalotto tickets at a smoke shop at the Milan airport.

Later in the afternoon, without ever leaving the airport, the passengers were flying back to Berlin, "just in time for dinner and to find out if they've won," said Italy private Canale 5 TV.

No one has picked the winning numbers since January, and now the Superenalotto jackpot is Italy's biggest ever _ and, according to Italian news reports, the biggest in Europe, as well. Drawings are held three times a week.

Austrians, Croats and Slovenes living close to Italy "stormed" across the border to try their luck, the Austria Press Agency reported Thursday.

Many of them packed restaurants and hotels in Italy's German-speaking Alto Adige, or South Tyrol, region, which borders Austria.

French visitors were driving into neighboring northwest Italy for a chance to play the numbers lotto, many Germans have been sighted in resort towns of Lake Maggiore buying tickets, and Superenalotto tickets appeared to be as popular as postcards in many Venice souvenir shops.

Other foreigners catching lotto fever were enjoying already planned vacations in Italy. Nicola and Peter Minchella came from Edinburgh, Scotland.

"I never thought to play in another country before, but since it's making headlines, we'll probably buy a ticket," said Nicola Minchella, as the pair dipped into gelato and sipped coffee at Castellino's, an outside cafe at Piazza Venezia in the heart of Rome.

At a counter inside the cafe, customers waited in line to buy lotto tickets. What if Peter Minchella picked the winning numbers?

"I'd travel the world and keep buying lottery tickets," he said, smiling.

The cost is euro1 ($1.42) for the chance to choose two combinations of six winning numbers.

In places like Naples, where a favorite pastime is interpreting dreams in terms of numbers, many people preferred to choose their own. But players could also purchase tickets with two random sets of numbers already printed on them.

With many smoke shops closed in Italy for vacations, those open bustled with players. At Castellino, one customer spent euro2,000 (some $2,800), a drop in the bucket against the 1 in 622 million odds, said manager Stefano Menchetti.

Not all had dreams of riches only for themselves.

The mayor and some of his employees in one small town in northeast Italy chipped in to buy tickets, pledging to use any winnings to build a theater for Ceneselli's 1,900 citizens.

"We've played our ages, our birth dates" as the lucky numbers, said Mayor Marco Trombini in a telephone interview. "There's no logic in luck anyway."

Italy's Record Lotto Jackpot Climbs To Euro135.9m - CBS News

 

[RedRocksU2]

It's up to $207 mil here in California for 8/21/2009
But I still want to go to Italy.

 

[kramwest1]

Powerball is at $250 million tonight.

Powerball - Home Page

I gotz my tix. (but I would prefer to win Euros)


Mark

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I don't think they tax you as much over there either.

 

[Thora]

I'd love to go to Italy!

Our lottery jackpots are so much smaller, but at least we don't have to pay crazy taxes on them.

 

[Tiger Edge]

"Want's"

 

[No spoken words]

Tiger Clayton beat me to it, Elfa.

Douche.

 

[Tiger Edge]

Tiger Clayton

I'm not English.

 

[No spoken words]

I'm not English.

But you SPEAK it. Think on that.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

ok, so first thing I buy will be a high priced assassin... Although I think I know a guy who will kill NSW for free

 

[Tiger Edge]

Hitler?

 

[No spoken words]

Too soon.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Beav = Hitler? that's an interesting theory

 

[No spoken words]

Beav = Scottish fop.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

fop? What is this, 17th century England?

 

[waynetravis]

I don't think they tax you as much over there either.

They don't tax at all on gaming/gambling whatever. Atleast the don't in the UK

 

[lauramullen]

Raises Hand

 

[BoMac]

ok, so first thing I buy will be a high priced assassin...

The first thing you should buy is a grammar text book.

My signature becomes more and more accurate by the day.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

 

[BoMac]

Point taken.

And by the way, I prefer the moniker Grammar Socialist.

Thank you...

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Next I'll have to call you a Grammar Canadian...

 

[BoMac]

Yeah, they're one and the same, right?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

So I've heard, they also drive snowmobiles and live in igloos

 

[BoMac]

So I've heard, they also drive snowmobiles and live in igloos

Exactly.

Anyway, on topic, my entire family in Italy has bought multiple tickets. Wish them luck!

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Wush them luck!

HAHA!

oh sweet irony!

oh and good luck, I suppose

 

[coolian2]

i guess with that much money you could pay people not to mock your apostrophe abuse.

 

[BoMac]

I edited it 2 seconds later.

Sept. 16 cannot come soon enough.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

i guess with that much money you could pay people not to mock your apostrophe abuse.

how much do you think it will cost me?

 

[coolian2]

how much do you think it will cost me?

knowing how mature we all are here, probably the whole jackpot.