Five players who bought a ticket in Valley City, North Dakota are claiming a $100,000 prize from the weekend Powerball drawing, the largest prize paid since the state joined the game.
The winning ticket, bought at a Valley City convenience store, matched the first five numbers, but missed the Powerball, state lottery officials said. Players matching all six numbers would have won or shared the $33.2 million jackpot, but none of those tickets was sold.
The $100,000 prize had people buzzing in Valley City, said Beth Heinze, assistant manager of the Cenex store where the ticket was sold.
"Everybody here is talking about it," Heinze said. "It's a fun little story."
Heinze said the ticket was sold to five "elderly" women who pooled their money to buy the $100,000 ticket. She said she knows the women, but would not give their names.
Heinze said lottery sales increased at the store after people learned a winning ticket was purchased there.
State lottery spokeswoman Eileen Walsh said she could not identify the winners because they had not given permission to release their names.
The five are to claim their money Tuesday, at the state lottery office in Bismarck. After taxes, each will get a check for about $15,000, Walsh said.
North Dakota joined the Powerball lottery March 25. More than 20 other states also have it.
There were two more $100,000 winners, both in Missouri. The jackpot climbs to an estimated $41 million for Wednesday's drawing.
They all now have extra money to play Hot Lotto when it comes to ND next month.
The heck with Hot Lotto tickets! Cigs, cheap booze and hot babes is the way to go.
Chas
Congrats to the ladies.
I did not know anyone lived in North Dakota. Has North Dakota been a state very long?
I swear only once have I seen a North Dakota license plate in Pennsylvania and we see lots of tourist in this area.
Chas
I have been to North Dakota several years ago and their wasn't much of anything out there. It's like one big farm plain and not much else.
But they'll soon have Hot Lotto! (And Oregon doesn't!?)