1 winning ticket from South Carolina
Final jackpot total of $399.4 million is fifth-largest ever in USA
By Todd Northrop
Wednesday's massive Powerball jackpot that generated millions of ticket sales this week has been won by a single ticket sold in South Carolina.
The $399.4 million Powerball jackpot, which is the fifth-largest of any lottery game in history, started as a $40 million prize on August 10, 2013, and continued accumulating prize money for 12 consecutive drawings, until it was finally won Wednesday.
Early Sunday morning the game's organizer estimated Wednesday's jackpot at $400 million, and that estimate turned out to be almost exactly correct. By Wednesday evening after all the ticket sales were counted, the actual jackpot amount stood at $399.4 million — the fifth-highest recorded by any lottery game in history, and the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot ever.
The final lump-sum cash value of the jackpot is $223.3 million, ranking as the eighth-largest jackpot cash value ever.
The Powerball winning numbers for Wednesday, September 18, 2013, were 7, 10, 22, 32, and 35, with Powerball number 19.
The lucky ticket was sold at Murphy USA on Augusta Road in Lexington, according to South Carolina Educational Lottery Executive Director Paula Harper Bethea. The town of just under 20,000 is right in the middle of the Palmetto State.
South Carolina lottery officials advised the winner to "sign the back of the ticket, put it in a safe location, seek financial or legal advice from a trusted source, and then come forward to claim the ticket."
The big jackpot winner is not the only one to bring home a heap of cash Wednesday night.
In addition to the jackpot winners, 12 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 2 from California, 2 from Florida (both with Power Play), 2 from Georgia, 1 from New Jersey, 2 from New York, 2 from Pennsylvania (1 with Power Play), and 1 from South Carolina.
The 2 California second-prize winners will each be awarded $873,083, because California does not award fixed prizes. By law, California awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.
Of all the second-prize winners, three of the tickets — both tickets sold in Florida and the ticket sold in Pennsylvania — were purchased with the Power Play option for an extra $1. Because they purchased the Power Play, those three tickets are now worth $2 million.
Power Play is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered in Power Play is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts.
169 tickets matched four white numbers plus the Powerball and won $10,000. Of those tickets, 28 were purchased with the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $40,000, and 25 of the tickets were sold in California, where the prize was worth $5,546 this drawing.
The jackpot for the Saturday Powerball drawing is reset to $40 million.
Powerball is now played in 43 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
A 44th Powerball state will be added in early 2014, as the state of Wyoming has approved a new state lottery with the intention of joining Powerball and other multi-state lottery games. (See Wyoming officially becomes 44th state with a lottery, Lottery Post, Mar. 14, 2013.)
Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.
Oh well.maybe I will have better luck on the ct lottery 4.5 million
Don't forget about Mega Millions tomorrow night -- $145 million! Great cash value of $98.4 million.
Nearly had heart failure this morning when I saw SC won!
had to run and check my tickets lol
I resisted the temptation to buy an extra ticket. Now I have $3 that I will use to buy 3 Mass Cash tickets and hopefully hit $1oo,ooo.
This is the first time since Friday, July 5, that the advertised Mega Millions jackpot is larger than the advertised Powerball jackpot (and probably the first time that even the MM cash jackpot is larger than the PB cash jackpot).
Im just glad it wasn't freakin New Jersey....again LOL
Congrats to the lucky winner.
Sucks that it wasn't me because I thought for sure it would be..lol I had an auto pick almost identical to the numbers I picked myself after the auto purchase and thought it was a sign from above..LOL
Oh well, just glad it wasn't New York... Hate it everytime I see New York win. It's always New York, New Jersey, California, Michigan or Georgia winning.
On to Classic Lotto and Mega Millions untill the next big Powerball jackpot!! :)
Will be rolling $15 office pool to Friday's MM. Got skunked on tickets myself. Meh. Better luck next time.
Same here. Work pool goes to MM.
Good luck Piaceri.
Good luck to you, too buckeye.
Congratulation to the winner/s
I would have done the same if it was OK.
Back to the drawing board. Time to go get some MM tickets with megaplier.
Yes indeedie, mypiemaster!
Congrats to all the winners !
Once all the States join PB, we'll get to do this every other month.
See it was sold in Lexington. Looks like a wealthy area down there from the homes they show.
Well, hello mega millions I haven't forgotten you just put you aside for a few weeks. We can be friends again!!
Hopefully whoever won it, will put the winnings toward doing something useful or cool, like not wasting it on a stupid bicycle, and is not at an age where it will just end up not being used and the state ends up with the money in the end.
Darn it!! I'm so sick of losing!!!
I'm not playing anymore!!!!!
I'm done!!!
Holy Cow 1 Ticket
Check the MLS for Lexington South Carolina! The top 50 most expensive homes listed are from: $3,870,000 down to $610,000!
Far from being a 'podunk town' LOL
Oh nose! Not anudder rich white dude!
LOL Ms. P you so crazy........remember that guy that posted on here last year when RI won and said it was probably a white person that won since most of the people in RI are white. Well low and behold Mrs. Louise White won but she wasn't white lol
Good things happen to people who wait.... Thank you Lord.
I hope this means you caught a piece og the winnings or the whole thing.
Congratulations if you did!!!
Just the way I feel about it. Just tired of checking my ticket to have NOTHING. But I can't give up the "dream" of winning one day.
I'm the same =[
Big JP and I check my ticket and nothing and I just stop playing for a month or so then the JP gets big again and that dream of winning big comes back I buy 2 lines then lose again lol
the miser in washington state bought 2 top of line bicycles, but that was all he bought with his 80 million cash for 3 years. ok to buy a bicycle along with other stuff that you need or want. i'm sure that this anonoymous s.c. winner will make sure it doesn't end up with the state just because he may expire soon. there would be someone he/she could will it to before the state ends up with it.
I guess lotto fever didnt happen on this run, no raises......lol We've been spoiled with the big jackpots lately
Congratulations to all the Winners
Since I contributed to this persons winning, my hope is that it went to ONE person claiming. Have an adversion to Group Pool wins....
I enjoy those who say "I quit playing!",
That is great!!
Quit Playing ...and Start winning! :)
News report said we probably will not know who won because South Carolina is an anonymous claim state. If true the winner just scored a second win!
CAN I REMAIN ANONYMOUS WHEN I HIT THE JACKPOT?
All but five states (DE, KS, MD, ND, OH) have laws that require the lottery to release the name and city of residence to anyone who asks. Other states may offer to assist you in some way, including such things as the creation of trusts. But generally, you will want to hire an attorney to review the laws in your state to see what options you might have. Photos and press conferences are up to you for most, but not all states. Check with your state lottery to see if photos or more are required. Most of the time, it is advisable to get it over with the press so that you don't have one or more reporters following you around to get that "exclusive" interview. Even if the you can keep your identity secret from the press and the public, you will have to be known to the lottery - so they can confirm that you are eligible to play and win.
Whew, 1 ticket wins the $399M annuity advertised Powerball jackpot!!!
It's been several years since a South Carolina lottery vendor sold a winning Powerball jackpot ticket!
I contributed $10 to the winner; do you think they will spend it wisely?
KyoK:
Oh well, <<<<<<<<<<<<sorry>>>>>>>>>U^^^^did not <<<<GIT<UR>>>>>>>>>>>>STATIUM
only N ^^^^^^^^^^^^sorry<<<<<<<<<U^^^^gotta WIN^^^^RU<<<<<<<gotto lose<<<<<<<<<!!
VOTE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>^$^UR>>>>>>>>LOCAL^BEER & ^ FOOD stamp^^^^>>>>>>>>>>>?????????
The church N atlanta demand'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!
$50 million $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!
GOD>>>>>granted D little people^^^^MONEY$!
<<<<<<<<BUT<<<D>little people git "soda"...!
lejardin,
Yeah. I feel the same way.
Win$500Quick,
I can't find a thing on the South Carolina lottery website FAQ pages about remaining anonymous.
?
OH yeah i forgot that i also gave $20.00 to the pot, i hope they all do spend Wisely
It's on the form itself, the key is with SC that if someone does a Freedom of Information Act Request the names will still be released. It happened in the past. But you can claim anon and you can deny to take part in the media events, ect
But if the press really want to know they will find out.
It happened a few years ago, someone from Raleigh, NC won in South Carolina and the Raleigh press requested the info by the Freedom of Information Act because NC forces publicity or some such and since they lived in NC and that media outlet didn't think it was right they should remain anon.
Here's the info from the site:
Please Note: Players of the South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) have the choice of whether or not to allow the Lottery to use their names and photos to advertise their win. Winners' information may be subject to disclosure under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). These winners granted SCEL Claims Center Staff permission to publicize their winning experiences. Other winners who claimed their prizes at lottery retailers or who did not wish to have publicity are not featured.