North Dakota Lottery: North Dakota has its first lottery jackpot winnerNorth Dakota lottery officials said Thursday that Wednesday's winning Wild Card 2 jackpot ticket was sold at the Amoco station in Michigan, in eastern North Dakota. The prize is $420,000.
The winner is not yet known.
"We contacted the Michigan Amoco store this morning, and they are ready and waiting for the winner, as are we," state Lottery Director Chuck Keller said in a statement.
Tim Anderson, manager of the gas station, said the jackpot is the talk of the town. Michigan has about 345 people.
"Everybody that walks through the door is asking about it," Anderson said. "We don't know if it's somebody from here or from somewhere else. But everybody wishes they had the winning ticket."
Anderson said lottery ticket sales increased on Thursday at the station. He said he caught himself thinking about what he'd do with a big jackpot.
"I'd pay off my house and take a vacation," Anderson said. "It would be pretty exciting to win that kind of money."
"It's our first jackpot win and the largest prize we've ever had," spokeswoman Eileen Walsh said.
Walsh said it's common for lotto winners to wait awhile before claiming their prizes.
"Usually what they do is go to an attorney or an accountant first," Walsh said.
The jackpot winner can chose a lump-sum payment or get the prize in annual installments. Walsh said the winnings are cut by about 30 percent, after state and federal taxes.
Lottery officials also said two $5,000 Wild Card 2 tickets also were sold, one at the Farmers Union Oil in Kenmare and the other one at the Valley Dairy # 18 in Grand Forks.
The winning numbers were:
3-24-26-28-29
