English

Search


NEWS

$1 Billion Powerball Jackpot Winners from California Revealed

$1 Billion Powerball Jackpot Winners from California Revealed

Welcome to the thrilling world of Powerball, where dreams become a reality overnight! Recently, the California Lottery pulled back the curtain on not one but two monumental jackpot winners who have forever changed the landscape of lottery history. Let’s dive into the incredible stories of Yanira Alvarez and Theodorus Struyck, the latest Powerball Millionaires’ Club members.

Introduction to Powerball’s Big Winners

In the golden state of California, two individuals have defied the odds by winning jaw-dropping Powerball jackpots. These wins have transformed their lives and continued California’s streak of claiming some of the largest jackpots in Powerball history.

Who is Yanira Alvarez?

Yanira Alvarez, the lucky winner of a staggering $1.08 billion jackpot in July 2023, has become a household name overnight. Her journey to wealth began with a simple visit to Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles, where she purchased the golden ticket that would lead her to one of the largest jackpots in Powerball history.

The Winning Moment at Las Palmitas Mini Market

Imagine the sheer exhilaration of discovering your life is about to change forever. For Alvarez, this moment was not just about winning; it was about realizing every lottery player’s dream. After 39 straight drawings without a winner, the jackpot had reached astronomical heights, making Alvarez’s win all the more sensational.

Theodorus Struyck: Another Californian Winner

When you thought the excitement had peaked, enter Theodorus Struyck, another Californian who clinched a massive $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot in October 2023. Struyck’s win came after purchasing his winning ticket at a retailer in Frazier Park, marking another entry in California’s winning streak.

The Lucky Purchase in Frazier Park

For Struyck, a 65-year-old who adores his grandchildren, the win is a testament to the power of persistence and luck. The jackpot had grown for 36 straight drawings, and when Struyck’s numbers finally came up, it was a victory for the ages.

$516m Mega Millions Jackpot Won in Bucks County

$516m Mega Millions Jackpot Won in Bucks County

A Pennsylvania Lottery retailer in Bucks County has been identified as the outlet where the winning Mega Millions lottery ticket was sold. And now the hunt is on to find the $516m lottery, winner! The life-changing sum dates back to the drawing on Friday, May 21st. Making it the ninth-largest Mega Millions jackpot since it began back in 2002. The lucky ticket matched all five white balls drawn and the yellow Mega Ball. It is estimated to be worth $349.3 in cash. For the full jackpot win of $516m, the winner. When they decide to come forward, will be paid in annual increments until the balance is paid in full. 

Life-changing

The winning numbers were: 06, 09, 17, 18, 48 and Mega Ball 8. 7-Eleven on 2760 Trenton Road, Levittown will earn a bonus of $100K for selling the winning ticket, and that’s life-changing in itself. Pennsylvania state only joined the game in 2010, and to date, they have seen three big winners on the lottery. A Pittsburgh man won $149 million back in May of 2014. And strangely enough, a Virginia truck driver on his route in Pennsylvania decided to stop for a Mega Millions ticket in July of 2015 and just happened to win a jackpot of $153m! The third lucky winner of $516m is yet to come forward.

“The Pennsylvania Lottery congratulates the big winner of this historic jackpot, and 7-Eleven for selling the big Mega Millions winning jackpot ticket,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “Thanks to our network of more than 9,600 retailers and players across Pennsylvania, the Lottery is continuing to fulfil its mission of responsibly generating funds for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians.”

How did the jackpot get so big?

The most recent Mega Millions jackpot win has come to an end after the jackpot rolling over from Friday 19th February without a single top-prize winner. This has resulted in generating $41.5 million in sales, creating a profit of $16.6 million to benefit older Pennsylvanians. The lucky winner may not even know they have won. May have lost their ticket or are simply waiting to decide what to do with this epic new fortune of theirs. Whatever the reasoning behind the stalling. The winner can rest assured knowing there will be no rush to claim. As all tickets have a one-year expiry date from the date of the drawing.

The unclaimed win follows a whopping $1.050 billion prize won by a consortium of players in Michigan on January 22nd and $96 million won by a New York couple back on February 16th. More than 81,600 tickets in the state of Pennsylvania picked up a prize back on May 21st. With more than 18,200 winning via the Megaplier. Lottery officials are urging all players to sign the back of their ticket to stop any fraudulent claims. 

$96 Million Lottery Win for NYC ticket Holder

$96 Million Lottery Win for NYC ticket Holder

New York is often labelled the city where dreams are made of, and this statement couldn’t be further away from the truth for one lucky resident at least. On Tuesday February 16th, the Mega Millions was draw and its jackpot of $96million was attracting a lot of attention. White balls 1, 36, 44, 54 and 66, plus the gold Mega Ball of 10 altered the fortunes of a New York City ticket holder after discovering they had won the lot – and no sharing!

It’s 1 in 302,575,350!

The winning ticket was purchased at Kinney Drugs located at 2 Preston St. Do you know the odds of winning the Mega Ball? It’s 1 in 302,575,350! And that lucky New Yorker was that one in almost 303 million!

We may only be two months into 2021, but that sum is the second largest won after some lucky devil won $1.050 billion almost a month before! It’s been revealed a total of 515,119 tickets holders all won a prize. That sum of $96million can be paid to the winner one of two ways: in increments or they can opt for a cash lump sum. Those opting for an instant pay out receive considerably less than they would over the entire lifetime of the instalments, but $68.5 million cash is still a lot of money!

What would you choose? Annuity where one instant payment is followed by 29 additional annual payments, each 5% bigger than the last or the one-off lump sum? A single ticket holder in California beat odds of 1 in 12,607,306 to take home February 16th second prize of $1,000,000 while a further nine players matched 4 white balls and the Mega Ball to scoop $10K each. Odds for tier three is 1 in 931,001! One of those tickets was worth $30,000 as it included the additional $1 3x Megaplier.

How to play online lottery?

Each ticket costs $2. Six numbers are required – five from the white of 1 to 70 and one from the gold – 1 to 25. You can choose your own numbers of opt for a lucky dip, which effectively takes the hard-work out of picking numbers! Prize values vary from with Mega Millions lottery from $2 for matching the Mega Ball to the jackpot for all five white and the Mega Ball. Thanks to Megapliers, the values of each of those tiers (except for the jackpot), can be boosted by as much as 5x! So, the $1,000,000 second tier prize on normal play would be $2million on 2x, $3million on 3x, $4million on 4x or $5million on 5x!

You can play Mega Millions in 47 localities: 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The next drawing has been reset to an estimated $30million or $21million in cash.

Lottery ‘Spies’ Make a Move on Unsuspecting $5.2 Million Winner

Lottery ‘Spies’ Make a Move on Unsuspecting $5.2 Million Winner

Can you imagine winning the lottery and not even knowing you’ve bagged millions and then, one day in the street, two people approach you claiming you’re a multi-millionaire? Sounds like a plot from some movie but trust me, it’s real! An unwitting lottery winning of some $5.2 million had an un-checked lotto ticket stored in his glovebox and only when the lotto spies approached him on the streets of New Zealand, did the man realise he was richer than he could have ever imagined!

Using a set of particular skills, the lotto spies took a month to track down the unknown lottery winner and made his dreams come true in the process. It’s like Liam Neeson in Taken…they did look for him, they did find him, and they did…tell him, okay, so that ending is completely different to the movie, but it’s amazing nonetheless! The Morrinsville winner’s lottery ticket dates back to October 17th when his Lotto Powerball ticket came up trumps!

Closed Circuit Television

His family have been urging him ever since to check his ticket, but he never thought it would be him so did nothing. The prize went unclaimed for a whole month before Lotto spies obtained CCTV footage to review who bought the ticket. They knew the store, the time the ticket was bought – they just didn’t know who won!

Marie Winfield, Lotto NZ head of communications, revealed how the lotto staff jumped into their car and headed to Auckland to track down the mystery winner: “They went to where they knew he would be and managed to catch him outside on the street at a time when he wasn’t surrounded by anyone and went up to him. We got very lucky in this situation, we were able to track down the person relatively easily, fortunately in this day and age technology makes it a little bit easier.”

How amazing is that?! Ms Winfield continued: “It’s not every day you get to approach someone on the street and tell them that we think they are a multi-millionaire. They said the best thing was seeing the look on the man’s face when he checked the ticket and he realised they weren’t joking, describing it as ‘absolutely priceless’. We were 100 per cent sure when we approached him, he was the one who purchased the ticket. While he was standing there, he went to his car, retrieved the ticket, and they were able to check it on the spot. There’s always that fear that someone’s lost it.”

It’s only the second time in history the NZ lottery teams have had to chase down a winner, making it all the more spectacular. We wonder what the lucky winner will buy with his money? If he continues to play the lotto, we hope he never leaves his ticket in his glovebox ever again!

Persistence Pays Off to Tune of $2m for Online Powerball Player

Persistence Pays Off to Tune of $2m for Online Powerball Player

Powerball is one of the most played lottery games in the US with players trying their luck for jackpots from a multi-tiered prize board twice weekly. The option of playing from a retailer is offered alongside the lottery’s website and Chao Sun, an aerospace design engineer has recently scooped a life-changing prize from doing just that – playing online!

Sun, who has been playing the same set of numbers since trying his luck, scored a $2million Powerball prize, but like most, he didn’t realise he’d won straightaway! Speaking to the lottery, the winner said it was “a big shock”, well naturally it would be!

Purchasing his ticket using the ‘online pay’ feature on the website, he chose to play his own set of numbers which comprise of significant birth dates and a lunar calendar year, and thanks to this (and a little help from lady luck), his numbers came up trumps! The morning after the drawing, Sun checked his emails to find two from the lottery; “I saw the second one and it means I won something. I knew I won something but not sure how much.” 

App-Solutely Fantastic!

Logging into the NC Lottery Official mobile app to check, he was stunned to see it saying he was now a millionaire! “I see it says $2 million and I’m thinking, ‘Is this right?’. Then I go back to check my numbers again and I go, ‘Oh, it is!’” His stake of $3 matched the five white balls drawn; 08, 12, 19, 47 and 58, beating odds of 1 in 11.6million!

After local federal and state taxation charges, Sun took home a cash sum of $1,415,001.00 after claiming his prize on Friday at the lottery headquarters in Raleigh. Speaking on what he may do with his newfound fortune, Sun said: “I think the first thing my wife is thinking is if the kids want to buy a house or something, we can help. That’s the big thing.”

Powerball offers nine different ways to win in each drawing as well as options to boost your winnings via ‘PowerPlay’ multipliers. Prizes range from $4 to the stated jackpot (the biggest of which was $1.586 billion on January 13th, 2016), and prizes are awarded based on the number of matching numbers you have on your ticket. Matching the red ball will award a prize of just $4 – which is twice what a single ticket costs, but add PowerPlay of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x to boost your winnings by their stated multipliers!

Powerball Info:

  • Powerball costs $2 per play.
  • Select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls; then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
  • Choose your numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
  • The Powerball jackpot grows until it is won.
  • Players win a prize by matching one of the 9 Ways to Win.

New Jersey Lottery Winner Urged to Come Forward for $124 Million

New Jersey Lottery Winner Urged to Come Forward for $124 Million

Could you imagine winning $124,000,000! It’s an obscene amount of cash – a jackpot win that could literally change your life forever! One lucky ticket holder has won this sum and they’re yet to file a. claim for their winnings! The draw w made on Friday July 24th and should the winner opt for the one-off lump sum payment, they would receive a staggering $100,800,000 in cash!

New Jersey Lottery Executive Director James A. Carey, Jr. revealed on July 25th that the lucky ticket was purchased in New Jersey which means the retailer is also set to receive a cash sum for their part in creating a multi-multi-millionaire (a commission check worth $30,000)! “We are thrilled that the winning ticket was sold in Hudson County. I’m happy to congratulate Brenda’s Inc. on 110 Kennedy Boulevard in Bayonne, the retailer that sold this winning ticket,” said Carey.

The winning numbers were: 08, 33, 39, 54, and 58. The Gold Mega Ball was 17 and the Megaplier was 03. Check your tickets because you could be sitting on an epic fortune and not even know it! If you believe this could be you, Carey has some words of wisdom for you: “Congratulations, to the winner of this multi-million-dollar jackpot! We encourage the winner to sign the back of the ticket, make a copy of both sides and put it in a safe place, and contact Lottery Headquarters at 609-599-5875 to arrange to file a claim for this ‘MEGA’ jackpot prize.”

 Other Mega Millions News

On the same night one lucky ticket older from New Jersey won the $124 million in the Mega Millions drawing, another two Mega Millions winners were found – and again from the state of New Jersey! The second prize of $1,000,000 was won by a ticket holder in Illinois and a ticket holder in Texas – their prize for matching the main five white balls drawn. An additional sixteen tickets won $10,000 (the third prize) but thanks to the multiplier 3x, those tickets were worth $30,000 instead of $10,000!

 

Mega Millions $378m Lottery Drawing – Who Won?

Mega Millions $378m Lottery Drawing – Who Won?

Friday June 5th drawing for the Mega Millions topped $378million. The lucky numbers drawn were 32, 35, 37, 47, 55 with the Gold Mega Ball of 22 and the Megaplier of 3. There were no lucky jackpot winners which means the jackpot for June 9th will be a staggering $410million (cash option of $308.2million).

There may not have been a grand-prize winner, but three lucky ticket holders matched all five white main numbers drawn to win $1million each. The lucky winners purchased tickets in Connecticut, Florida and New Jersey. If any of those winners had played the Megaplier of 3, they would have seen their prizes triple in value instantly!

Mega Millions draws are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11pm and tickets cost $2 each. Five main white balls are produced from a lottery wheel of 70 numbers. The Mega Ball (gold) is drawn from a separate lottery wheel where there are numbers 1 to 25. The odds of winning a jackpot is 1 in 302million.

And, if you believe Richard Lustig, the author of “Learn How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery”, you can do just that by following his tips. First being to have a budget and not go over it. Second is to not buy quick or easy pick options. “The problem with buying quick picks is every time you buy one, you get a different set of numbers. So, your odds are always the same,” Lustig said.

He continues with tips that include avoiding birthdays and anniversaries as the dates only go up to 31, whereas the lottery numbers go up to 70, so you’re eliminating half the numbers there. And, finally, you should never change your numbers. But at the end of the day, if you’re luck is in, your luck is in! And there have been many a winner from quick/easy pick tickets.

 

Double Whammy for US Man After Hitting Powerball Jackpot Twice in Same Day!

Double Whammy for US Man After Hitting Powerball Jackpot Twice in Same Day!

Could you imagine what life would be like landing a $1million on the Powerball? It would be glorious! Now imagine what life would be like landing $1 million on the Powerball twice in ONE DAY! Joe B from Pueblo, Colorado has been playing the same set of numbers for nigh on thirty years, when his numbers finally came up – twice!

Joe B purchased two tickets last month; one in the morning and one in the evening from separate vendors. Despite being two different tickets, the numbers were the same; 05, 09, 27, 39, 42. According to the Colorado Lottery, “Joe likes to play one play of his own numbers, and a couple more plays with Quick Picks. He bought a few Powerball plays in the morning at 7-Eleven on 926 Lake Ave, then stopped and bought a few more plays in the evening at Loaf N’ Jug on 2050 Lake Ave.”

That’s $2 million in cold hard cash! How lucky was he?! Collecting his winnings last week, the double-winner was asked if he had plans for the winnings, to which he replied: “The boss (his wife) has plans for it”

Is this the first time someone has won the lottery twice in the same day? You may be surprised, but no, it isn’t. A man in Delaware earlier this year accidentally purchased two identical tickets into a Powerball drawing and landed a win of $100,000 (before taxes!). Back in 2012, a woman from Virginia also bought two tickets instead of the one with the same numbers and won two $1 million prizes too!

Will you be next to make that twice in one day lottery win list?

Mega Millions join Powerball in Adjusting Starting Jackpots

Mega Millions join Powerball in Adjusting Starting Jackpots

Since Friday 3rd April, new rules on how the Mega Millions jackpot drawings took effect. The consortium behind the major lottery brand announced that meetings had taken place and new legislation was agreed upon to adjust starting jackpots. But that wasn’t the only subject being discussed at the hushed meetings – the minimum jackpot increases took a hammer blow too.

Slowing sales during the current global pandemic is to blame for the latest changes which will now see starting jackpots based on ticket sales only. This means starting jackpots and the rate at which the jackpot increases will be based on game sales and interest rates only, with no fixed minimum amount. The value of each jackpot will be announced prior to the drawing.

Gordon Medenica, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium and Director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming said: “The value of the Mega Millions jackpot is based on projected sales, and typical sales patterns have been altered because the current health crisis has required people to stay home. We are concerned, first and foremost, with everyone’s health and well-being. Meanwhile, these adjustments will allow the states and jurisdictions that sell Mega Millions tickets to continue generating much-needed revenue to support state budgets.”

The estimated jackpot for April 28th was $186 million or a cash option of $151.2 million. Winning numbers for Friday April 24th were 1, 27, 32, 60, 67 with the gold ball number 18. The overall chances of winning any prize is 1 in 24. Prizes are awarded based on the number of balls matched; from one golden ball right up to the five main numbers drawn and the golden ball.

Powerball Update on Jackpot Amounts and Minimum Jackpots

Powerball Update on Jackpot Amounts and Minimum Jackpots

Forget big guaranteed starting Powerball jackpots because it’s changing. The Powerball Directory Group recently announced its decision to change the way the prizes are determined, so instead of lavish jackpots with eye-watering prizes, the jackpots now will only be based on the number of tickets sold. Seems fair enough, but with a reputation for creating millionaires, many now will be turning to other lottery products.

From April 8th, guaranteed starting jackpot amounts and minimum jackpot increases have been eliminated, and future jackpot increases will now be determined and announced by the group at each drawing, based on the number of tickets sold. And this is sure to have an impact on advertising. Previously, Powerball jackpots started at $40 million (annuity) and increased by a minimum of $10 million (annuity) between drawings.

Gregg Mineo, Powerball Product Group Chairman, and Maine Lottery Director said in a press release: “These changes are necessary to ensure that ticket sales can support the Powerball jackpot and other lower-tier cash prizes. Our number one priority is making sure that the Powerball game can continue to assist lotteries in raising proceeds for their beneficiaries.” 

Mineo continued: “Since last week, more states and cities have asked their residents to stay at home, which has affected normal consumer behaviours and Powerball game sales. In response to the public health crisis, interest rates have declined. As a result, additional game sales are necessary to fund comparable jackpot amounts.” 

They were expected to announced the starting jackpot be $20 million (annuity) – half what it was and minimum jackpot increases would be $2 million (annuity) instead of $10 million – that’s a fifth of what they were before, but because of Covid-19, they went with the decision to set the prizes based on ticket sales.

Ticket prices still remain the same though, that’s $2 a ticket. So, it’s not all doom and gloom.

Changes to Powerball Include Starting Jackpot and Minimum Jackpot Roll Increase

Changes to Powerball Include Starting Jackpot and Minimum Jackpot Roll Increase

An announcement has been made by the Gregory Mineo, Powerball Product Group Chairman and Maine Lottery Director, that as soon as the next grand prize jackpot is won, the Powerball is to change. The starting jackpot will reset to a guaranteed sum of $20m (annuity) with a minimum roll increase of $2m between each drawing. The changes were made to ensure the game continues to support good causes across all 48 US lottery jurisdictions.

“Powerball players in many U.S. lottery jurisdictions are under shelter-in-place orders or recommendations from their governors or mayors, which have affected normal consumer behaviors,” said Gregory Mineo, Powerball Product Group Chairman, and Maine Lottery Director. “Just like other enterprises around the world that are making adjustments, we are making proactive changes to continue to offer the world’s premier lottery product.”

The odds of hitting the Powerball jackpot are 292,201,388 to 1. A single $2 ticket has about a 1 in 11,688,053 chance of matching all five numbers to win at least $1 million, while there’s about a 1 in 913,129 chance at winning the third prize of at least $50,000.

Powerball numbers for Saturday, March 28th draw were: 07, 40, 48, 55, 66 – Powerball was 11 and Power Play was 2x. The jackpot for this draw was $160m or $122.4m in cash.

Mississippi Lottery ‘Rolls’ Out New Powerball and Mega Millions Opportunities

Mississippi Lottery ‘Rolls’ Out New Powerball and Mega Millions Opportunities

Some four months after the Board of Directors at the Multi-State lottery Association (MUSL) approved the Mississippi Lottery Corporation (MLC) as its newest member to sell both Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, thousands flocked to take advantage of it.

January 31st was a fine day down at the Mississippi sound and whilst the sun reflected off the calming waters, Sen. Philip Moran made a ceremonial purchase of both Powerball and Mega Millions tickets.

More than 1500 approved retailers were on board as the system activated at 3am (CST). Tom Shaheen, President at the Mississippi Lottery Corporation (MLC), said;

“Yesterday was another incredible day for Mississippi. Powerball and Mega Millions combined sales were $516,986. This is slightly over double of what we expected for jackpots at the current levels. Mississippians sent a resounding message that they were glad both games are here.

We are extremely grateful for our loyal retailer base and players as we moved forward with our mission to raise needed revenue for roads, bridges and education.”

Mike McGrevey the Board Chairman for MLC agreed that January 31st would become a banner day for the state. “I am grateful for the hard work of President Shaheen, the MLC staff, retailers and all the players. The Mississippi Lottery Corporation continues to bring more exciting game options, while benefitting the state in important ways.”

Mississippi is now the 46th state to sell both lottery tickets and both games offer plenty of chances to win in two drawings per week (each). That’s four chances to win life-changing cash as well as other smaller prizes.

It’s estimated that the first $80m of net profits will go towards infrastructure, but once that ten-year period is over, lottery collections of up to $80m will go directly into the state’s general fund. Any net profits beyond the $80m will go to the Education Enhancement Fund, which helps pre-kindergarten and the classroom supply fund.

Powerball vs Mega Millions

There are nine ways to win with the Powerball, starting with that red ball. To win the jackpot, a player must match all five main draw balls and the Powerball. The prizes will vary from $4 to the life-changing cash sum known as the grand prize. To put this into perspective, February 13th drawing was for $70m or $49.8m in cash value. Powerplay is a multiplier option which can increase the prizes of the lower tier cash sums. For example, if you had 2x in play and won $100, you’d win this x2.

Mega Millions doe exactly what it says on the tin; pays mega millions! Take Tuesday 11t Feb drawing for example; the cash pot was a staggering $202 MILLION, or $142m in cash. To win, simply match all five numbers and the yellow mega ball – simple! Winning the jackpot has odds of about 1 in 302,575,350…compare that to being murdered; 1 in 6,100, so the chances of winning are slim!