Social media helps a player discover their big win
By Kate Northrop
It's thanks to Facebook that a Michigan woman learned she won a $1 million Powerball lottery prize.
While many regard social media as a source of silliness, distraction and fun, it's also where many turn to keep up with friends, family, and the news. It's also how one Michigan woman found out she was the winner of a $1 million Powerball prize from the March 2 drawing.
Before the drawing took place, Jennifer Vackaro, of White Lake, decided to buy a Powerball ticket at Andale Mexican Grill & Cantina on Carroll Lake Road in Commerce Township.
"My fiancé and I were at Andale, and he was playing Club Keno, so I decided to play Powerball," Vackaro said to the Michigan Lottery. "Usually I play easy pick numbers, but since we were just hanging out having a drink, I decided to take the time to pick my own numbers."
She picked the right numbers — the first five regular white ball numbers on her ticket matched the ones drawn on March 2, which were 3, 18, 27, 36, and 53.
"The next morning, I was scrolling Facebook and saw a post about a winning Powerball ticket that was sold at Andale," Vackaro continued. "The post had the winning numbers, and I recognized them right away. I scanned my ticket on the Lottery app and when $1 million came up on the screen with confetti, I couldn't stop shaking! I called my daughters and my fiancé to tell them the good news."
The Lottery announced her big win on Monday after she recently visited headquarters in Lansing to claim the prize.
"I have been in a complete fog the last few days. I haven't been able to eat or sleep because I've been so nervous and excited!"
With the winnings, she plans on taking her family on a trip and will save the remainder.
While Vackaro is busy celebrating her own $1 million Powerball prize, the Michigan Lottery also announced that time is running out to claim a different $1 million prize from the Mega Millions game. A winning ticket sold at CVS Pharmacy on West 10 Mile Road in Southfield for the March 17, 2023 drawing is set to expire at 4:45pm on March 15, unless the winner steps forward. The winning ticket matched the first five numbers drawn: 26, 28, 29, 39, and 49.
The last time the Powerball jackpot was won was in January when one Michigan ticket matched all six numbers to scoop a $842.2 million jackpot. Whoever bought the winning ticket at Food Castle on East Grand Blanc Road in Grand Blanc has not yet claimed the jackpot. The Lottery advises the winner to contact their Player Relations Division by phone to set up an appointment.
The Powerball jackpot currently stands at $559 million for the next drawing tonight (Mar. 13) at 10:59 pm Eastern Time.
Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
The Powerball drawing takes place at 10:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. The winning numbers, official drawing videos, jackpot analysis showing after-tax jackpot amounts, complete prize payout charts, and more can be found at USA Mega (www.usamega.com), a popular website offering in-depth information about the USA's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Powerball and Mega Millions.
Sad that people need to go social media platform. honestly.
* Vackaro could have saved herself the agony by simply downloading the lottery post app.🤛🏼
Many people around the country believe they never going to hit so they just play for fun and they really don't check their tickets immediately until like weeks or months later because of the odds or that old saying "it could never be me or it's fixed" I always check my tickets because I heard unbelievable story here in Ohio from a person who works for the lottery that a man called into the headquarters and asked him to check his ticket that he found ball up in his pick up truck! He lost it and never knew what happened but he finally found it under some items parked away in the trashy truck. When he finally found it, he called into the lottery headquarters and asked if this ticket was a winner and can he still claim it? Well it was past the six months here in Ohio and the amount he lost that he would of got was $110 million or so! Yikes 😬 He told me the guy was like "oh well lesson learned and I guess the man upstairs had it wasn't meant for him" but other people called him and cuss him out over $5 or $10 of an expire ticket. They say "that my money! I paid into the lottery you owe me that back even if it expired"😳 He said that guy took extremely well and moved on with his life. Never heard from him again nor attorney. He's been working there over 15 years and he said this happened to him his first 6 months on the job 15 years or so ago! I'm just curious what will you all do lottery members if you were him and found out you lost $110 million? I'm going to be honest with you all, I would be devastated and sick to my stomach! I would never ever play again because lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place for that much money! I'm just keeping it real 🤷🏾♂️
That wouldn't happen to me because I check my tickets right after the draw.
Hmmm....maybe I should just throw my tickets in my glove box and check them 3 or 4 months later.
Naw...
I want to know how much she will get for 1 million prize after taxes ???
The standard 450k if the lump sum is taken and the taxes all taken out.
That sounds about right. I know exactly what I would do with it. Pay a couple things down.
This story is not like the people that find their winning tickets in a coat pocket in a jacket they haven't wore in weeks, clove compartment, desk drawer, or places where people forget the placed it. Sort of doubt any LP member will offer a story about not checking their tickets.
Around 11:15, I checked my state lottery results using the LP results page. I could have went to the KY Lottery site or used the scanner app on my phone but I was already on LP. There are probably thousands of other options to check my tickets including Facebook where Vackaro checked her ticket.
Assuming no other income and using the head of household tax brackets (2024)
Note that: "my understanding is that second division Powerball payouts are "the full cash amount" and not an annuity)
Federal tax = $326,493.40
State tax (6%) = $60.000
Total tax = $386,493.40
Or, cash in the hand after State and Federal taxes ($1,000,000 - $386,493.40 ) = $613,506.60
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Right RCbbuckeye! Allow the lottery gods hit us with the lighting following the same strategy but find the ticket and claim it well before the six months. If I know that will work, I'll say me and you let's meet up and do our strategy 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Just glancing over my KY winnings confirmation email and saw it had a 2 in there...that means two messages for the price of one. Anyway knew about $3 L4L, but opened up the whole thing as said $30 on Mega Millions. Kind of sad after all these years that is the most won @ one time!!
And she did confirm the win via the Illinois lottery app to be sure.
A lot of people, myself included can't be bothered with FB.
Man only if she spent an extra buck! 😁