A Gansu lottery player won the biggest jackpot ever in China yesterday. The lucky winner was on the receiving end of 102.71 million yuan (US$13.9 million).

The winner bought 20 tickets, for two yuan each, all with the same combination. The jackpot was more than five million yuan, thus the winner will receive 20 times the jackpot for holding 20 winning tickets, the report said.

The winner bought the tickets at an outlet in Jiayuguan City, where another person also won a top award and 15 second prizes in the same draw. The individual walked away with more than 10 million yuan, the report said.

There was no official information on the winners.

The draw is held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Two lottery machines pick out six of 33 red balls and one of 16 blue-colored balls to generate the winning combination of numbers.

The former record jackpot was nearly 65 million yuan, won by a person in Heilongjiang Province in October. The person bought one combination of numbers 15 times, each bringing him the top award of 4.33 million yuan.

(Shanghai Daily November 28, 2007)