Powerball grows to $1 billion, but 3 PA players hold big winning tickets from July 17 draw
The ever-growing Powerball jackpot remains up for grabs, but a few lucky Pennsylvanians are already set to cash in on some substantial prizes.
Three winning, unclaimed Powerball tickets sold in Pennsylvania are worth roughly $1.4 million total following Monday’s drawing, the Pennsylvania Lottery said Tuesday. A ticket worth about $1 million was sold in Delaware County, while two others worth $200,000 each were sold in Lycoming and Allegheny counties.
Here’s what you need to know about the Powerball jackpot and Pennsylvania’s recent prize winners.
Big Powerball winners in Pennsylvania
The $1 million-winning ticket matched all five white balls in Monday’s drawing. The winning numbers were 5, 8, 9, 17 and 41.
The two tickets that won $200,000 matched four of the white balls and the red Powerball numbered 21. Thanks to a multiplier, the tickets quadrupled their earnings from a base prize of $50,000, the Pennsylvania Lottery said.
Bethel Food Market, located at 1406 Naamans Creek Road in Garnet Valley, earned a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning $1 million ticket, according to lottery officials. Right-A-Way, at 1200 Dewey Ave. in Williamsport, and Giant Eagle, at 600 Towne Square Way in Pittsburgh, each earned a $500 bonus for selling their respective winning tickets.
Pennsylvania’s Powerball winners have one year from the drawing date to claim the prize. Winners can be identified only after prizes are claimed and tickets are validated, the lottery said.
Lottery officials say winners should immediately sign the backs of their tickets. Anyone holding a winning ticket is encouraged to call 1-800-692-7481 or visit palottery.com to inquire about filing a claim.
Powerball players are tasked with correctly picking five numbers between one and 69, plus a Powerball between one and 26. The overall chances of winning any prize, starting at $4, are roughly 1 in 25, but the odds of hitting a jackpot are about 1 in 292 million, the Pennsylvania Lottery estimates.
Lottery officials estimate the odds of hitting a $1 million Powerball prize are about 1 in 11.7 million. The chances of scoring a $50,000 base prize, meanwhile, are about 1 in 913,000.
Powerball jackpot cracks $1 billion
Monday’s drawing did not yield a jackpot winner, pushing the prize to a near-record sum.
The estimated Powerball jackpot has rolled to $1 billion, or $516.8 million cash, lottery officials say. For now, it’s the third-largest Powerball jackpot in history and the seventh-largest U.S. lottery jackpot of all time.
A California Powerball player won a record $2.04 billion prize in November, representing the largest sum in U.S. history. The second-largest Powerball jackpot ever, $1.586 billion, was split three ways between winners who purchased tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee.
Powerball drawings occur at approximately 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Broadcasts stretch between 11 p.m. and roughly 11:25 p.m., available on local television stations and the game’s official website.
Players in Pennsylvania can take several steps to limit their gambling. The state lottery recommends setting budgets online, scheduling cool-off periods or self-excluding from online games, among other strategies.
If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available by calling 1-800-522-4700.
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