Sicilian wins $126 million lottery jackpot
One of the world’s biggest ever lottery jackpots has been won in Italy.
The winning ticket was bought in the city of Catania in Sicily, and is worth $126 million (100 million Euro).
Catania is one of Italy’s poorest cities, and when the news broke residents took to the streets singing, dancing and waving flags.
The identity of the winner or winners is unknown. The only known fact is that the lucky ticket was bought from a tobacconist in the city centre. There were dark warnings that mobsters would try their hardest to get their hands on a portion of their windfall if they found the identity of the winner, either an individual or a syndicate of friends or work mates.
Having rolled over since April, the huge Superenalotto jackpot became one of the largest seen anywhere in the world.
One consumer rights group said the lottery was ruining families who spent all their money on tickets. Before the draw was made it called for the jackpot to be seized and redistributed.
Already one woman in Catania, who claims to have leukaemia, has placed an advert in the local newspaper asking for a share of the money.
Italy’s Federation of Psychologists and Psychotherapists has issued advice saying the ”winner or winners may experience joy but could also feel pain and paranoia unless they handle their winnings carefully”.