Powerball: Minn. Lottery office hears from $180M Powerball winnerOfficials at the Minnesota State Lottery headquarters said today they have heard from someone who claims to be holding the winning Powerball ticket from Saturday's drawing that's worth $180.1 million.
But nothing is official until that person comes forward and presents the ticket for certification at the lottery's Roseville office, a lottery spokeswoman said.
That's not likely to happen today, but it could happen this week. "We are eager to find out," she said.
Lottery officials confirmed Sunday that a ticket sold in Rice County matched the numbers 2, 28, 36, 42 and 46 and the Powerball 40.
The apparent winner has up to one year to redeem the largest winning Powerball ticket ever sold in Minnesota and become the 20th Powerball jackpot winner in the state since the game began in 1992.
The holder of the winning ticket will have the choice to take the 29-year, 30-installment annuity, or the one-time cash "lump sum" payment of $88 million, or $59.6 million after taxes, Powerball officials said.
The last Minnesota Powerball winner was in Nov. 2006 when Michael Hawes of Lakeville won a $94.1 million jackpot that he split with another winner from Arizona.
The state also has produced six jackpot winners in Lotto America, the predecessor to Powerball, which is now played in 29 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
