Scratch Map

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As of today, submissions for the 2026 iGB’s Most Influential Women list are open! We are once again looking for nominations that highlight all facets of the sector, and the women who are championing change and acting as leading forces within their company, or the sector more broadly.

Please provide as much detail and insight as possible on the person/s you are nominating. The more information and background we receive, the clearer the picture of their career and achievements can be.

While it’s tempting to use AI to help you write a submit, we please ask that you avoid doing so, as once again, the more personal an entry is, the better we can judge it across our key criteria.

What is Scratch Map?

A former Connecticut funeral director who stole clients’ prepayments to fund his excessive gambling habit will spend the next seven and a half years in state prison.

Philip Pietras, 52, admitted to stealing from more than 170 people, many of whom are senior citizens who sought to limit the emotional and financial burdens placed on their loved ones by prepaying for their funerals. But instead of placing those funds, meant for caskets and burial services, in escrow accounts, Pietras pocketed the money to gamble.

Pietras accepted a plea deal from the state, and prosecutors expect him to enter a guilty plea on Oct. 23 and be formally sentenced on Jan. 22, 2027.

What is Scratch Map?

With no jackpot win materializing, the game’s top prize has continued to grow, reaching $332 million ahead of the Wednesday drawing. A hypothetical winner would be able to either claim the annuity option for the full sum or the one-time lump sum option of $141.7 million.

The $1 million win in the UK comes shortly after a lucky player in New York won a similar prize after matching the five white numbers for the Saturday, September 19, drawing. The same drawing also saw 30 players win tier-three prizes. Of these, 23 won $50,000 each, while the remaining 7 won $100,000 each thanks to Power Play.

A week before that, Powerball awarded not one, but two Match 5 prizes. One of these incredible payouts was a $1 million win in Georgia, while the other one was a $2 million windfall in Ohio.