Half-billion lottery jackpot scooped up by one winner in last night's draw

By Kate Northrop

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Last night's Powerball drawing produced a single winning ticket for the $526.5 million jackpot, giving someone in California a half a billion reasons to celebrate.

The multi-state Powerball lottery game produced a winner from California on Saturday, March 29, which resulted in a single ticket worth $526.5 million in 30 annual payments over 29 years or $243.8 million in cash all at once.

The jackpot was originally estimated at $515 million prior to the drawing, but the amount was bumped up to $526.5 million at the time of the drawing after all ticket sales were calculated.

Whoever thinks they bought a Powerball ticket for Saturday night's drawing at 7-Eleven at 763 North Euclid Street in Anaheim should check to see if they won — that's where the jackpot-winning ticket was sold.

The winning numbers in the March 29 drawing were 7, 11, 21, 53, and 61, along with red Powerball number 2. The Power Play multiplier was 3.

For selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the retailer receives a bonus of $1 million, the maximum amount that the California Lottery awards.

This marks the second Powerball jackpot win of 2025. The first Powerball jackpot winner of the year is 79-year-old Abbas Shafii of Beaverton, who claimed a $328.5 million prize in February.

Saturday's drawing was the 30th drawing since Shafii hit the jackpot on Jan. 18.

According to USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis, after all taxes are paid, whoever steps forward to claim the $526.5 million prize will have receive either $332 million over 29 years or $153.6 million in cash all at once. California has no state taxes on lottery prizes, meaning only federal taxes will be imposed on the prize.

Per California law, the winner has 180 days from the date of the drawing to come forward to claim the prize.

It's hard to imagine the winner having a restful weekend as they try to process winning such an unimaginably huge lottery jackpot awarded to a single ticket — the one they're holding in their hand.

Millions of lottery players in the USA and around the world are wondering what they are planning to do with all that loot.

What is the first thing you would do?

(Here's what we would do.)

The public will eventually find out the identity of the winner, as California does not allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

Lottery Post maintains a list of every state's anonymity policies for lottery winners, and Lottery Post published a comprehensive video presentation about each state's anonymity laws.

The Saturday Double Play drawing results were 7, 11, 14, 26, and 59, along with red Powerball number 10. Double Play is a game option that is not currently available in California but is offered in 22 other states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The option lets you play your numbers in a second drawing for an extra $1 per play, with a chance to win up to $10 million in cash. See How to Play Powerball at USA Mega for more information about Double Play.

Aside from the California winner, there were several other significant winners in the drawing. Five tickets matched all five white ball numbers but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize: two in Georgia, one in Ohio, one in Oregon, and then one in Texas. A total of 24 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. Ten of those tickets were purchased with the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $150,000, and four were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $17,911.

When a Powerball ticket is purchased with the Power Play option for an extra $1 per ticket, a second-prize win is doubled, and any other non-jackpot prize is multiplied by the Power Play number drawn that evening. A complete list of prizes available for matching various numbers can be found on the Powerball Drawing Detail page at USA Mega, as well as on the Powerball Prize Payouts and the Powerball Double Play Prize Payouts pages at Lottery Post.

The official drawing videos can also be found on the Powerball Drawing Detail page at USA Mega.

The Power Play option is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered with the Power Play is incompatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts.

The next Powerball drawing will take place Monday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time with the jackpot amount reset to its starting point of $20 million.

Powerball is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.

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' two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.