The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot may be 1 in 292 million, but it doesn’t stop there 60% of Americans from buying lottery tickets. Powerball is one of the most popular American lottery games, along with Mega Millions. Since that started in 1992Americans—out of proportion lower-income men of color-placed their bets in states that sell tickets (Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah do not participate).
Five lucky Powerball winners won jackpots between $160 million and nearly $2 billion this year. With one last drawing who left this year, Americans have a chance, albeit a very slim one, of winning $760 million.
Here’s a look at the five Powerball jackpots this year.
🥇$1.765 billion
A mysterious player bought the winning Powerball ticket in October at a liquor store in Frazier Park, California. The ticket was worth nearly $1.8 billion, the second highest sum in the game’s history. Midway Market & Liquor, co-owned by two brothers, received a $1 million retail bonus for selling the jackpot ticket. The winner’s identity is still not publicand they may or may not have come forward to claim their $774 million immediate cash prize or the full jackpot amount in annuitized payments.
🥈$1.08 billion
The second-biggest jackpot of 2023 was almost $1.1 billion ticket bought by another mystery buyer. The winner purchased the ticket at Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles in July. The owner of the mini market was too Awarded $1 million.
🥉$754.6 million
Becky Bell bought the grand prize Powerball ticket in February while shopping with her daughter at a Fred Meyer grocery store in Auburn, Washington. Bell, who works as a supply chain analyst for Boeing, didn’t realize she had won the drawing until the next day. “I’ve never won more than $20 in my life. So you can imagine my shock when I realized what had just happened,” Bell tell Washington’s Lottery in March. “I just broke down and cried.”
Bell’s ticket was the largest amount ever won in Washington state. The Fred Meyer store was $50,000 given from the lottery commission, but donated it to a local food bank.
💰$252.6 million
An unknown player in Ohio hit a jackpot of $253 million in April after buying the winning ticket at a convenience store in Macedonia. The mystery winner claimed the prize an anonymous trustaptly named The Crazy Luck Trust, represented by Akron attorney John Krajewski. The gas station, GetGo, $100,000 won and shared the proceeds with his employees and a regional food bank. They also gave customers free tater tots for a week.
💵 $162.6 million
A rural Virginia resident Bought a Powerball winning ticket worth $163 million in March at a family-owned gas station, Gill Brothers, in the town of Dublin. The winner claimed their prize but remains anonymous. The owners of Gill Brothers won $50,000 as a bonus for selling the ticket.
⚠️ A warning to all lottery winning hopefuls
Powerball winners take home much less than the actual jackpot if they want their money right away. If someone wins the next drawing on Dec. 30, they can choose to receive the $760 million in separate payments over 30 years, or take home a cash prize that’s about half that value. And that’s all before tax. Jackpot winners who choose the cash option can pay up to 37% in federal taxesin addition to any government income tax.
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