Though this is the highest amount ever won, the trend in recent years of ever larger jackpots continues to grow, in the US:
- USD 1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016: Three winners in California, Florida, Tennessee
- USD 1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
- USD 1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022: Illinois
and in Europe where there is a cap on winnings:
- EUR 120 million, Eurojackpot, 22nd July 2022, a player from Denmark
- GBP 195 million Euromillions, 19 July 2022, UK player
… the list goes on.
Integrity is everything to the lotteries
The win coincided with a delay caused by a “technical problem”, which turned out to be the need for extra time by a participating lottery to complete required security protocols. The Multistate Lottery Association (MUSL) issued an explanation:
"Currently, one participating lottery is still processing its sales and play data. Powerball requires all 48 participating lotteries to submit their sales and play data prior to the winning numbers being selected. Once Powerball receives the outstanding submission, the drawing can proceed. Powerball has stringent security requirements to protect the integrity of the game and remains committed to holding a drawing that gives all players a fair chance to win."
Once resolved, MUSL released a statement which noted that the record USD 2.04 billion jackpot went off at 8:57 a.m. at the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.
"Protecting the integrity of the draw is of upmost importance," said Drew Svitko, Powerball Product Group Chair and Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director.
WLA activities for security and risk management
While purchasers of tickets live in hopes of winning and changing their and many others’ lives, behind the scenes, it is critical for the lotteries to ensure the integrity of all operations, products and services, in order to maintain the confidence and trust of the public in its games.
This can be achieved through the development of a visible and documented security environment. The WLA Security Control Standard (WLA-SCS) is the only internationally recognized security standard for the lottery sector. Certification to this standard assists WLA members to obtain a level of security control in line with generally accepted best practices and enables an increased reliance on the integrity of operations. The WLA-SCS specifies the required practices for an effective security management structure for a lottery to maintain the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of information vital to its secure operation.
WLA and its regional partners also offer information sessions on different aspects of security and risk management.
Find more information about WLA Security Control Standard and security and risk management activities, at this link.
