Four $1M Powerball tickets sold in same county, at same chain

Jun 18, 2012, 6:47 am (16 comments)

Powerball

The odds of winning at least $1 million by matching the first five numbers in a Powerball drawing are 1 in 5.15 million. Four people beat those odds in Florida this week.

In the same county. Buying from the same grocery chain.

Four tickets bought from a Publix store in separate cities in South Florida's Broward County matched the first five numbers drawn on Wednesday night, said David Bishop, Florida Lottery deputy secretary.

Each missed the Powerball digit, but still won a prize of at least $1 million. One was an upgraded Power Play ticket, bringing that buyer's prize to $2 million.

"Four winners in the same county, all bought at one retail chain. It's really remarkable," Bishop said Friday.

Each of the tickets was a "quick pick," meaning the numbers were automatically selected at the time of purchase and none of the winners chose the numbers themselves, Bishop said.

Asked if the machines would be checked for any irregularities, Bishop said that "from an integrity standpoint, we always check that information." But the lottery doesn't suspect anything out of the ordinary beyond a statistical fluke.

"It's statistically improbable, but not statistically impossible," Bishop said. "We do our due diligence, but we see nothing other than an improbability that came true."

One winner had come forward as of late Friday afternoon, Bishop said.

Wednesday's drawing — 7-10-14-33-57, with a Powerball of 18 — produced one $241 million jackpot winner, in Iowa.

The four $1 million tickets in Broward County — sold at Publix stores in Coral Springs, Plantation, Weston and Pembroke Pines — were among seven that won nationwide Wednesday, according to Powerball officials.

Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale, is Florida's second most populous county, with more than 1.7 million people in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Publix is the Florida Lottery's largest retailer, according to Bishop.

CNN

Comments

mcginnin56

More likely than not, each 5+0 ticket had a different Powerball #, meaning that they were not duplicate printed #'s. Only the Florida lottery

knows for sure.

 

Amazing that so many second prize winners all came from such a tight geographic area, and by the same retail chain.    Eek

 

Conspiracy theories? I'm sure there will be a few. I say this is great news...congrats to those four lucky winners!  Party

RedStang's avatarRedStang

 Posted before that we have 4 second place MM tickets sold within 5-40 mins apart, but different dates. There's no PB wins.

Jill34786's avatarJill34786

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Jun 18, 2012

More likely than not, each 5+0 ticket had a different Powerball #, meaning that they were not duplicate printed #'s. Only the Florida lottery

knows for sure.

 

Amazing that so many second prize winners all came from such a tight geographic area, and by the same retail chain.    Eek

 

Conspiracy theories? I'm sure there will be a few. I say this is great news...congrats to those four lucky winners!  Party

4 matching quick picks in the same county is beyond comprehension. To have each one come from the same chain is even more disturbing.

I wonder how often this plays out? This only came to light because these were big prizes...nonetheless, congratulations to the winners!

maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

so random and quick pick can no longer be used correctly in the same sentence...

sully16's avatarsully16

Congrats to the lucky winners.

pick4master

Quote: Originally posted by Jill34786 on Jun 18, 2012

4 matching quick picks in the same county is beyond comprehension. To have each one come from the same chain is even more disturbing.

I wonder how often this plays out? This only came to light because these were big prizes...nonetheless, congratulations to the winners!

i wonder how many 1%ers live in that area????

LottoGuyBC's avatarLottoGuyBC

 

Congrats to the Winners Cheers

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Congratulations to the winners....Thumbs Up

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

What are the odds of four quick picks bought at the same grocery chain in the same County having the same numbers and winning a million dollars each?

I recall Todd once saying something like "about the same as being struck by lightning while being eaten by a shark."

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Jun 19, 2012

What are the odds of four quick picks bought at the same grocery chain in the same County having the same numbers and winning a million dollars each?

I recall Todd once saying something like "about the same as being struck by lightning while being eaten by a shark."

This all is making me increase my quick picks which I rarely do.  I am now going to do them about 1 out of 3 times.  I got a decades of dollars quick pick and had 2 numbers so got a free ticket. I had not won anything for a while.

maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

I much prefer the stories of duplicate-esque numbers where there are winners involved rather than those where its all 'pre-programmed' winners. 

Doesnt this kinda add fuel to the 'see?  the lottery is so NOT rigged' arguement?

if it were rigged, they wouldnt have allowed so many winners... no?

VenomV12

This is really not that hard to figure out. Obviously the same person or the same family that went and bought the tickets at different branches of the stores or group of friends that all agreed on the same numbers. 

Jill34786's avatarJill34786

Quote: Originally posted by VenomV12 on Jun 21, 2012

This is really not that hard to figure out. Obviously the same person or the same family that went and bought the tickets at different branches of the stores or group of friends that all agreed on the same numbers. 

I find it pretty hard for anyone to agree on the same numbers when the article states that all four winning tickets were quick picks.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by Jill34786 on Jun 21, 2012

I find it pretty hard for anyone to agree on the same numbers when the article states that all four winning tickets were quick picks.

I Agree! What are the odds of agreeing on the same numbers, and deciding to play those numbers via a QP?   Roll Eyes

 No need for polished mathematicians, programmers or self-proclaimed know-it-alls to respond.  Conehead

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