
BONDURANT, Iowa — A winning $202 million Powerball ticket was purchased at an Iowa convenience store in the suburban Des Moines city of Bondurant, but nobody had claimed it by midday Thursday.
Iowa lottery officials encourage people to consult with an attorney or financial planner before stepping forward, so some delay in naming a winner isn't surprising.
"This amount, $200 million, is a life-changing amount of money, and we want to make sure the winner is prepared for what will come," Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer said. "In general, winners have done just that in Iowa. They usually take their time to get their ducks in a row. It's usually a few weeks or so."
The prize is the second giant Powerball jackpot sold in Iowa this year. Iowa requires public disclosure of lottery winners' names.
The single ticket matched the six numbers drawn on Wednesday night. They are: 13, 26, 39, 41, 42 and the Powerball number 10.
A group of 20 Quaker Oats employees in Cedar Rapids shared a $241 million Powerball jackpot when their numbers came up in June.
(See Quaker Oats workers claim $241 million Powerball jackpot, Lottery Post, June 21, 2012, and Iowa Lottery releases names of 'Shipping 20' Powerball winners, Lottery Post, July 6, 2012.)
That $241 million ticket was Powerball's 15th-largest jackpot nationally. Wednesday's $202 million ranks 28th among U.S. lottery jackpots.
The nation's biggest prize was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot sold in March. That jackpot was split three ways, as tickets were purchased in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland.
The top Powerball prize was $365 million, won in 2006 by a ConAgra Foods Workers in Lincoln, Neb.
Lottery officials said the winning ticket was bought at the Casey's General Store in Bondurant, where about $200 worth of tickets are sold a day, said Bo Knop, the company's area supervisor.
"We've had a lot of phone calls and people scampering in to check their tickets," he said.
Besides the jackpot winner, someone bought a ticket at a Casey's store in the eastern Iowa city of Williamsburg that is worth $1 million.
In January the price of a Powerball ticket was increased to $2 from $1 and the prizes were adjusted resulting in more frequent higher dollar winners, Neubauer said. The state has had 10 winners of more than $1 million this year.
She said Powerball sales fell about 10 percent after the price increase.
Seems like all these jackpots are won at these "convenience stores".
I'm going to stop buying all my tickets from Sears, and try these "convenience stores" instead!
I went directly to a "convenience stores" that was NOT close to my house.
I only buy any lottery tickets from a mom & pop store!! I don't give the big name corp. store the time of day when it comes to buying lottery tickets!!! They (big name corp. store) sure as heck don't need the bonus cash for selling the winning ticket!!!! The mom & pop stores need that bonus cash!
But sometimes its handy to have one of THESE in the store,,,,.,.,.,.,.,.,......
Iowa is becoming the California and New York of lottery jackpots. Ohio, New Jersey seem to have been displaced in terms of winning jackpots.
I wish whoever won it a long happy life with that money.
Congratulations Iowa purchased, jackpot winning, ticket holder.
I wonder how many jackpots have been won in Iowa in relationship to other states. They do seem to win a lot.
Always good to hear good stories like this... my time is coming.
I had the most amazing dream last evening!
I dreamed I was a New Yorker who had just won the Powerball, then moved to California to win the Mega Millions, then moved to Iowa to
win the Powerball once more.
I then dreamed that the government had formed one new Super State, consisting of New York, California and Iowa.
It was destined to be called by it's new name: New Califiowa
In New Califiowa everybody is a winner, disappointment vanishes, tears will be wiped away, dreams do come true.....if you believe.....if you believe.
I remember when Ohio used to always win the Mega Millions jackpots, now Ohio hardly ever wins any jackpot, not even it's own state lottery Classic Lotto. Classic lotto rolls for over a year before it gets hit and when it does get hit it's from someone out of town who bought a ticket in the state.
I used to think the Big lottos like Mega millions and Powerball was a rip-off and fake until someone in my city had won the Mega Millions in 2005 at a popular Convenience store I frequent often. I remember the day after the store had sold the winning ticket the store was packed like sardines with a line way out the door.
Back then I was 21 and never played except when it got large and never spent more than $2bucks the whole year. lol Now it's a different story. If only I could go back to limiting what I spend on tickets..it's addictive!
Anyone have a link/video of the Factory workers who hit the Mega Millions in Painesville, Ohio back in 2005?
Over a year and no win with Classic Lotto
Must be one of those 6/49 games!
I couldn't find the video but the story is here.
https://www.lotterypost.com/news/116939