Hunt for winner hots up

Speculation is growing about the identity of the winner, who remains unknown almost 24 hours after the result was announced.

The BBC's Frances Kennedy says the village where the ticket originated, Veduggio con Colzano, has been catapulted to celebrity status and is under media siege.

The roll-over jackpot was finally won on Wednesday after 44 consecutive draws where no-one managed to guess the correct numbers.

It is not clear whether the single winning ticket belongs to an individual or a syndicate.

Secrecy problem

Many of Veduggio's 4,500 inhabitants are away on holiday but clients also came from nearby towns to play.

Locals say it could be one of the immigrants who work in small factories nearby.

" Who does not want to be a millionaire? I am currently in Italy, and I will try my luck. Buying a few tickets will not hurt.
Joachim Arrey, Ossing, Cameroon "

Anyone who did not turn up for work on Thursday raised eyebrows.

Keeping one's identity secret in such an area will not be easy, our correspondent says, and there is the hope that the winner will invest some of his or her millions in the local economy.

The winner must contact the lottery organisers, who are sworn to secrecy, and within two months the sum will be deposited in his or her bank account, including the interest that has accumulated since the win.

The prize is so immense there have been suggestions that it might be better to pay it in yearly instalments.

Newspapers are quoting priests and psychiatrists on the perils that lie ahead for the lucky winner and suggestions on how to invest their millions.

Huge influx

The prize in the bi-weekly "SuperEnalotto" game had rolled into a 23rd week - the longest run in its six-year history.

In the hours leading up to the draw, nationals and foreigners besieged outlets selling tickets.

Players poured over Italy's northern borders with reports of lottery hopefuls arriving from France, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia.

Summer tourists also got word of the high stakes and joined the queues.

Have Your Say: Are you lottery-obsessed?

Click here or scroll to the bottom of the page to submit your comments.

" The Italian lottery system is completely outdated in all aspects "
John Harman, Italy

I think the Italian lottery system is completely outdated in all aspects. Take the number selection for example, you have to choose 6 numbers from 1-99, compared with the UK's 1-49 - this ultimately makes it harder to have regular winners, hence such a high jackpot this time round. Also the Italian lottery organisers are not so transparent in telling the public what good causes they support with the lottery funding, if at all. You can't help feeling that the system is a little "mafioso" to say the least!
John Harman, Italy

No, but I always play a dollar when the jackpot is high even if I sometime forget to check if I have the winning number.
Marino Provasi, USA

Here in Tokyo, people actually line up at a particular shop (in the Ginza district) because a few years ago it sold one of the big winning tickets. Traffic is blocked with the queue actually spilling over onto several city blocks literally crossing the street and continuing. 2 or 3 police officers are assigned to only managing the endless queue which can easily run into a thousand people. What a ridiculous waste of police resources and even more, what a ridiculous display of mathematical stupidity. Needless to say, buying a ticket anywhere gives you the same chance of winning - ZERO!
Uzair Ismail, Tokyo, Japan

I think lotteries are great. Where else can someone go from little to lots with minimal effort?
E. Cochrane, New Zealand

State lotteries are taxes, sure. But since taxes are unavoidable, why not make them fun to pay?
Overbye, Norway

" I think the madness over the Italian lotto is a bit over the top "
Caroline, UK

I have never bought a lottery ticket or scratchcard here in the UK, and I don't intend to, for fear of "what if those numbers come out next week?" I think the madness over the Italian lotto is a bit over the top, after all there are only so many things you can buy! A few million would be nice, but nobody needs $75 million. Think of all the people dying of Aids and cancer that you could help with that money.
Caroline, UK

When will people realise that the lottery is a tax waged on people who don't understand statistics and probability theory?
Russell, Scotland

Gambling widens social inequalities and is not a productive economic activity
Dave, Great Britain

It's a good job that Italy went over to the euro, as if the winner had won the prize in lira it would have taken a cheque about a mile long.
Pete Burton, UK

It is too bad that the prize cannot be distributed into 12 prizes of like five million euros each. That would also change the lives of many people.
Sander, Netherlands

" I have not bought a single ticket in a long time "
Frederick A. Isgrig, USA

Well, frankly, no. I have, in the past bought a handful of tickets when a local jackpot hit a very high level, but I have not bought a single ticket in a long time. I was once within one number of hitting a $16 million jackpot, but that paid only $800. Lotteries are a vicious way for governments to raise money.
Frederick A. Isgrig, USA

I think it's great, it gives people hope and the chance to hit the jackpot! I will be flying to Italy this afternoon to buy a few thousand tickets myself!
Deepak Kale, UK

It's a shame that you can't buy tickets over the internet....
Martyn Tueton, UK

The lottery is little more than a tax on the daft.
P.McKenzie, England

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