There was plenty more jawboning, but the Legislative Council wrapped up the expected approval this morning of a couple of big contracts related to the Arkansas Lottery. Camelot Global Services will be paid $750,000 in fees and expenses every year to consult on improving performance, with a promise of a 12-15 percent commission on growth in revenue, above last year’s $72 million net.

The long-term financial crisis facing the state of Alabama has not been fixed, and if anyone tells you otherwise, then you are being misled. In the recent special sessions, the Alabama Legislature did not solve the financial problems facing state government.

CBS San Francisco Connect With Us At KPIX 5 PROGRAM GUIDE: KPIX 5 TV Schedule WATCH: A Glimpse Inside The Working KPIX 5 Newsroom Breaking News Send news tips, video & photos, and video to the KPIX 5 […] CONNECT WITH KCBS Welcome to KCBS All News 740AM & 106.9FM on CBSSanFrancisco.com! LISTEN LIVE RIGHT NOW: KCBS Live Audio Stream LIKE KCBS Radio On Facebook: KCBS is the Bay Area’s only all news station, serving […] HAWTHORNE, CA – MARCH 29: A Mega Millions lottery ticket is printed out at Bluebird liquor store on March 29, 2012 in Hawthorne, California. The Mega Millions jackpot has reached a record high of $540 million.

A Thai woman is suing the father of her son for child support after he said he wanted to break up with her in a text message a few weeks after winning nearly 1 million dollars in a lottery. Saowanee Thongwiset is seeking 10 million baht to raise their 8-month-old son and educate him, her lawyer, Theerapon Pochanukul, told The Associated Press Friday.

Starting this Sunday, Connecticut lottery players will have a new “ALL IN” option on the state’s 5 Card Cash game offering the chance to win bigger instant prizes, including a new progressive jackpot. 5 Card Cash is a poker-themed game that has become popular in several states and provinces throughout North America in the past few years.

With the LOTTO 6/49 jackpot at an historic high and If luck is on your side, you could be $64-million dollars richer by this weekend That’s thanks to a streak of 11 consecutive draws with no winner dating back to Sept. 9. The draw takes place Saturday.

Randall Lobello of Bensenville said he still plans to buy lottery tickets, despite the Illinois Lottery’s announcement Wednesday that even more winners will be getting IOUs. “I do a lot of traveling; I would just jump to the border and go to Wisconsin,” said Lobello, 47. “I used to buy lottery tickets in Illinois, but I’m not purchasing them anymore.

Mayor Dennis Clough reminded those in attendance at Thursday’s Westlake City Council meeting that the city would benefit if residents passed Nov. 3 the safety force renewal levy that will appear on the ballot. “My personal opinion is that I feel it’s very important for the city to pass this renewal,” Clough said.

CHICAGO – Lottery winners in Illinois are having to wait before they cash in their big checks because of the state budget impasse. Rhonda Rasche is still waiting, but not holding her breath, for her $50,000 in winnings.

One of the top prize-winners in the Florida Lottery’s $5 million Flamingo Multiplier scratch-off game is from Tampa: Charles Bishop, 56, picked up his winnings in Tallahassee on Thursday. Bishop took the one-time, lump-sum payout of $3.2 million, according to the Florida Lottery.

The North West Blood Bikes charity, a dedicated team of motorcyclists and volunteers who provide a life-saving service, is being given a spotlight on ITV. Around 150 riders transport blood, blood products, samples, medication and medical notes as part of a 24-hour service to the NHS.

When pollsters ask Russians if they like the United States, the answer is a resounding nyet . In a survey released this week by the independent Levada Center polling group in Moscow, 71 percent said the U.S. played “a negative role in the world,” up from 50 percent who held that view two years ago.

Increased sales mean New Jersey’s lottery contribution to the state budget is on track to meet its target for 2016 after falling short the first two years of a long-term contract with a private operator. The operator of the lottery’s sales and marketing, Northstar New Jersey, is budgeted to return $1 billion to the state to help fund programs for education, disabled veterans and senior citizens.

Lotto 649 tickets are shown in Toronto in a recent photo. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. says it will make more people millionaires each week starting this fall.The lottery agency is creating a new $1 million prize for Lotto 6/49 and guarantees there will be a winner at each draw.

A San Francisco resident is the California Lottery’s newest big winner after scratching her way to the $1,000,000 prize on the Million $$ Match Scratchers. Janet Smith won the prize after buying a ticket at the Safeway store at 350 Bay St. in the North Waterfront neighborhood of San Francisco, according to lottery officials.

In the Land of Lincoln, it’s come to this: Starting today, Illinois will be issuing IOUs for any winning state lottery tickets that pay out more than $600. Back in September, the state had started writing IOUs for wins over $25,000.

THE backing of the Heritage Lottery that could see the major transformation of Craven Museum and Art Gallery has been warmly welcomed by councillors. Members at last week’s full meeting of Craven District Council applauded after hearing the council had received A 98,000 first round funding towards the modernisation of the museum, housed in Skipton Town Hall.

It seems it ‘won’t be you’ as the extra balls decrease the odds of winning the jackpot from one in 14 million to one in 45 million Wednesday was the second 59-number Lotto draw, which makes it three times harder to win the top prize, claim critics. With nobody matching numbers 07, 13, 20, 27, 39, 52 and bonus ball 35 Saturday’s rollover prize is an estimated 12.1 million.

The Arkansas lottery has reached an agreement with Georgia-based vendor Scientific Games International to extend its multimillion-dollar contract by 10 years and pay the vendor a lower percentage of the scratch-off sales. Lottery Director Bishop Woosley asked the Legislature’s lottery oversight committee in a letter dated Wednesday to sign off on the proposed contract extension when it meets this afternoon.

Mason County was well represented at Wednesday’s groundbreaking for the completion of U.S. 35 with, from left, Sheriff Greg Powers, County Clerk Diana Cromley, County Administrator John Gerlach, Commissioner Tracy Doolittle, Ernie Watterson from DOH, John Musgrave from WV Lottery, Del. Jim Butler, former State Sen. Charles Lanham, Lynne Fruth, Eddie Lanham, Frances “Babs” Fruth, Del.