Online Reporter
If you don’t live in Illinois, don’t throw away your ticket just yet. Five tickets sold in Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts and North Carolina matched all five white balls.
A single ticket purchased at a gas station in Quincy, Illinois, hit the $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot.
The winning numbers were: 4, 26, 66, 67, 69, with a red Powerball of 9.
The manager of the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh gas station on the Illinois-Missouri border told NBC affiliate WGEM that they’ve been getting calls since 3 a.m. “It’s crazy,” Jon Marshall said.
A spokesperson for Hy-Vee said it was an exciting day for the Quincy store, which will receive a selling bonus from the lottery.
“We’re thrilled to know that a life-changing Powerball ticket was purchased at our Hy-Vee location, and we couldn’t be happier for whoever the lucky winner may be,” said Tina Potthoff, the senior vice president of communications for Hy-Vee.
A flurry of last minute ticket sales pushed the jackpot to just over $1 billion ahead of Wednesday’s drawing, making it the largest lottery prize up for grabs this year and eighth-largest in Powerball history.
“Congratulations to our newest Powerball jackpot winner in Illinois,” said Stephen Durrell, Chair of the Powerball Product Group and Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery.
“For more than three decades, Powerball has shown that a winning ticket can be sold anywhere the game is played, giving every $2 ticket the chance to change not only a winner’s life, but generations to come. As participation continues to grow across markets, players are helping fuel larger jackpots and create even greater excitement for the game.”
If you don’t live in Illinois, don’t throw away your ticket just yet. Four tickets sold in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina matched all five white balls to win $1 million. A fifth ticket sold in Massachusetts also matched all five white balls and, because it included the Power Play option for an additional $1, increased its winnings to $2 million.
The $1.04 billion jackpot is for the annuity option, paid over 30 years, with an initial payout and then 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year. Winners almost always opt for the lump-sum cash prize, which for Powerball would be $450.5 million.
Hit the jackpot? Here’s where you can claim your money anonymously
1:49
Hit the jackpot? Here’s where you can claim your money anonymously
Some states let lottery winners stay incognito to protect them from unwanted attention, scams or people wanting to borrow money. Here’s where you can stay anonymous if you hit the jackpot.
The prize is subject to taxes, which includes an automatic federal withholding of 24% and another 13% in federal taxes when you file your 2026 return.
There are also state taxes in most jurisdictions, which range from 2.9% to 10.9% depending on the state you live in. But if you’re lucky enough to live in California, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington or Wyoming, you won’t pay any state taxes on your winnings.
The Powerball was last won on May 2, a stretch of 44 consecutive drawings without anyone matching the game’s six numbers.
The reason for the jackpot drought is simple: The odds of winning the top prize are miserable, at 1 in 292.2 million. It’s those odds that create the large jackpots that are designed to attract attention and drive up sales.
While Wednesday’s prize was significant, it doesn’t crack the top 10 of the largest lottery jackpots in the U.S. when including Mega Millions. The largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history stands at $2.04 billion and was won by a single Powerball ticket in California on Nov. 7, 2022. The winner, Edwin Castro, came forward in early 2023 after months of speculation.
Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom.
For the next drawing on Saturday, the Powerball jackpot resets to $20 million.
This math professor won $100,000 trying to prove how hard it is to win the lottery
4:13
This math professor won $100,000 trying to prove how hard it is to win the lottery
“The lesson didn’t really go according to plan.” Math professor Nicholas Kapoor bought a Powerball ticket to demonstrate how improbable it is to win the lottery – and then he won $100,000. Here’s what he wants you to know about playing the Powerball.
– NBC
