Bloody Murder

About Bloody Murder

Lottery officials said the Powerball winner elected for the one-time cash option instead of the annuity paid out over 29 years. The $450.5 million lump sum payout was reduced to about $261.5 million after federal and state taxes.

The $1.04 billion jackpot ranked eighth all-time in Powerball history and marked the 15th billion-dollar lottery prize won in the United States. It stands as the second-largest lottery prize ever claimed in Illinois, trailing only the $1.33 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in July 2022.

“A jackpot of this magnitude is an extraordinary event, and we’re excited to see the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois officially claimed,” said Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays. “It’s exciting to see such a significant Powerball win come to an Illinois player, and we’re pleased to celebrate this milestone with them.”

What is Bloody Murder?

Harrison Barrett, VP of business development, spoke to the iGB team at iGB L!VE 2026 to discuss the evolution of Soft2Bet’s MEGA platform, which started out as a purely gamification layer but has become “much more compelling than simply leaderboards, missions and point-based rewards”.

As Barrett puts it, MEGA is “ultimately a retention tool that helps our partners move away from heavy bonus and costs”.

With ice hockey and UFC-themed initiatives driving engagement in North America and a 45% lifetime value increase seen with the launch of MEGA Shoot, a player-versus-player simulation penalty shootout game initiative which launched during the World Cup, it is an exciting time for the Malta-based platform provider.

What is Bloody Murder?

SmartSoft maintains an established and growing presence in Africa, having also co-hosted the iGB L!VE Africa Summit in July.

Through its membership with AiA, SmartSoft will participate in events such as regulatory discussions, strategic roundtables and research initiatives, alongside other operators and suppliers in the market.

SmartSoft CEO Guram Gotsadze said the company’s decision to join the AiA reflected its growing focus on the continent and its commitment to supporting the development of regulated and sustainable gaming markets.