Britons Scramble For Chance At Jackpot

A record lottery jackpot - $65.3 million - inspired a betting frenzy Saturday that briefly shut down Britain’s lottery ticket machines.

Cher drew the winning numbers live on television Saturday night: 4, 13, 2, 3, 42 and 44, with a bonus number of 24.

But lottery operator Camelot Group PLC said the huge number of contestants, more than 100 million, meant winners would not be identified at least until today.

The great number of ticket sales made it unlikely that a single winner would take the jackpot. Camelot says odds predict about six winners; once, a British jackpot was split more than a hundred ways.

The group blamed “sheer congestion” for a 20-minute breakdown in the system earlier in the day.