Just two months after the first Powerball ticket was sold in Arkansas, the state has produced its first jackpot winner.
The 29-year, 30-installment annuity jackpot was $25 million, which can also be claimed as a $12,153,621 million cash option. The net payout after the automatic 25% federal tax withholdings for the cash option would be $9,115,216. Arkansas does not withhold state tax from lottery prize payouts.
The lucky jackpot win for one Arkansas player comes despite the fact that typically only about 4% of all Powerball winners from all prize categories are sold in Arkansas.
To illustrate the long odds on this accomplishment, three states — Maine, North Dakota, and Vermont — plus the U.S. Virgin Islands have never even had a single jackpot winner in a combined 51 years of participation.
The winning numbers drawn in Saturday night's Powerball drawing were 3, 7, 23, 27, and 42, with a Powerball of 37.
The Power Play multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes for tickets purchased with the extra $1 option, was 3.
The Arkansas lottery started selling scratch-off tickets, then added Powerball ticket sales Oct. 31 and Cash 3 ticket sales Dec. 14. It plans to begin selling tickets to the Mega Millions game Jan. 31.
Updated Jan. 3, 2010, 7:53 p.m.: Montana did in fact have one winner in its Powerball history — on Mar. 27, 1999. Therefore, the story has been updated to accurately reflect that three states (not four), plus the U.S. Virgin Islands, with a combined 51 years of participation (not 69), have never had a jackpot winner.
That is Fantastic, congratulations fella Arkansan.
Hooray!! Good for Arkansas, and congratulations to the winner. Arkansas is already planning to merge with MegaMillion. And NO STATE TAX WITH HOLDINGS!! What a State!!
Wish it had been me, but congrats. Glad our state has its first winner.
Congrats to the lucky first Arkansas Powerball winner!
oh the winner must feel so lucky. The state lottery commision will splash his picture and story at every space they get. Not bad.
Congrats to the first Arkansas Powerball winner! I bet whoever won it, will be getting a lot of attention in the state.