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Three winners to get NT$626 million from Big Lotto draw

Three purchasers of lottery tickets will get a memorable New Year gift as they walk away with the grand prize of the Big Lotto, which was NT$1.88 billion (US$57.5 million), the highest in the history of lottery operator Taipei Fubon Bank.

Each will be collecting NT$626 million in the bank's last issuance after the jackpot was left untouched in nine consecutive draws, according to the lottery issuer.

The lucky winners live in Banciao (板橋), Taipei County, Taoyuan and Linbian Township (林邊), Pingtung County, the bank said.

The second prize will go to 25 people, with each able to obtain NT$4.34 million.

As local press have estimated that the grand prize is expected to exceed NT$2 billion -- with some putting the figure at NT$2.2 billion -- long lines were seen all day long at lottery stations nationwide yesterday.

Unable to meet the surging demand, Taipei Fubon had to borrow 3,400 boxes of lotto paper from the next issuer, Chinatrust Commercial Bank.

Some innovative people resorted to unusual tricks to win over Lady Luck.

Lu Su-chu (呂素珠), a 37-year-old housewife in Yunlin County, chose to lie down in a new coffin as her fortuneteller said this would help bring wealth.

Residents in Gongguan Township (公館), Miaoli County, even decided to turn vegetarian for the week before the drawing, hoping to garner the favor of the gods.

Yesterday's huge jackpot attracted so many hopefuls that lottery ticket sales peaked at NT$200 million per hour nationwide, bringing total sales for the drawing to NT$3.03 billion, the highest in Taipei Fubon's lottery drawing history, the bank said.

Taiwan Lottery Co, a subsidiary of Chinatrust Commercial, will take over lottery operations on Monday.
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