Historic jackpot

The win brings to an end the mid-summer lotto madness that had taken over Italy as betters sought a piece of what had grown to be a 146.9 million euro ($210.6 million). SuperEnalotto draws are held three times a week, but no one had chosen the correct six numbers since Jan. 31. With each week without a winner the jackpot continued to grow, ultimately attracting players from neighboring countries, such as Germany and Switzerland.

The winning six-number combination was 10 - 11- 27 - 45 - 79 - 88, and the national lottery agency said the chances of getting all of those digits right were 1 in 622.

The identity of the winner is still unknown, but the winning ticket was purchased at the Bar Biffi in the central Piazza Roma where celebrators gathered Saturday night.

"We were watching the football match where Milan were playing when someone came in saying that we had won the SuperEnalotto," said the bar's manager, Annamaria Ciampini. "We immediately changed the channel and we started to hear the name of the village," she added. "What more can I say? I didn't win and I don't know who did."

The roughly one billion euros the Italian treasury will get from the bets made since the last payout will be a welcome windfall for the cash-strapped government, which has seen tax revenues drop in the worst recession to hit Italy since World War II.

hf/AP/AFP/dpa/Reuters
Editor: Nick Amies