Ticket purchased in Maryland; state's 2nd-largest jackpot
By Todd Northrop, sourced from press release
BALTIMORE, Md. — An excited Pennsylvania couple arrived at Maryland Lottery Headquarters Friday, accompanied by legal counsel, to claim their $128.8 million Powerball prize.
The elated twosome, who chose to remain anonymous, had the only winning ticket for the Christmas Eve Powerball drawing. The couple's Quick Pick ticket containing the numbers 14, 16, 30, 51, 52, with Powerball number 19, matched all five white balls and the red Powerball to win the second-largest jackpot ever hit in Maryland.
A Baltimore County woman holds the record for the largest jackpot prize in the state with a $183 million Mega Millions win in 2003.
The lucky Lottery player walked into Wesley's, a restaurant in Elkton, on Christmas Eve to purchase a case of beer, and on his way out happened to see the Mega Millions and Powerball signs. "The Mega Millions jackpot was larger, but the drawing for Powerball was that evening, so I bought two tickets for that drawing," said the nervous winner. His spur-of-the-moment purchase made for a-once-in-a-lifetime holiday season.
"I checked my tickets on Christmas day," said the winner. "When I saw the numbers, I started stomping on the floor and shouted to my wife to come upstairs." Thinking her husband had dropped something, she quickly ran upstairs to find the Powerball ticket in her husband's shaking hands.
"We were in shock," she said. "At first, we thought we'd won $20 million. To discover it was over $125 million was unreal."
The couple has not yet decided whether to take the $128.8 million annuity or the cash option of approximately $81 million. They intend to use some of the prize money to pay off their debts and give to charity.
The ticket was purchased at Wesley's, located at 3700 Telegraph Rd. in Elkton. Wesley's will receive $25,000 commission for selling the winning ticket.
Maryland joined Powerball two years ago and has produced two jackpot winners. The first Powerball jackpot won in Maryland was for $108.8 million and was claimed by an Abingdon couple in September 2011. There have also been 21 second-tier $200,000 Powerball winners since its arrival to the state. Three of these second-tier wins turned into $1 million prizes as a result of the Power Play option.
Beginning Sunday, January 15, 2012, the multi-state jackpot game will double its starting jackpot from $20 million to $40 million. In addition, the second-tier prize will rise from the current $200,000 to $1 million. If a player adds the Power Play option, the second-tier prize automatically doubles to $2 million. The ticket price also changes, moving from $1 to $2 for a single Powerball ticket. The first Powerball drawing under the new game structure will take place on Wednesday, January 18.
For more details about the upcoming changes to the Powerball game, see Powerball multi-state lottery to raise prices, jackpots, Lottery Post, Jan. 3, 2012.
For all Powerball and Mega Millions drawing results, jackpot analysis showing after-tax winnings, and news, players are encouraged to visit USA Mega. Winning numbers are published minutes after each drawing takes place.
Gonna break the trend of LP folks wishing them congratulations.
2012 is MY year to be ELATED!
Now just waiting for the $2 Powerball changes to take affect in less than two weeks! In the meantime, my QPs for PB hopefully will make me a Happy Man in 2012! Yes, I am intentionally ignoring the subjects of this story.
to $128 million dollars
All jackpots should go to PA!
Congratulations to the lucky couple.Not only are they lucky,they're smart,too.Remaining anonymous is a very smart thing to do when claiming a life changing jackpot.All states should offer this option.
+1
Today marks ONE of the THREE last opportunities for the Dollar and a Dream Campaign.
LP - Grab your Dr. Pepper and Quick Pick while supplies last
Roger that.
If they're REALLY smart, they will take the cash lump sum, spend a little, and invest the rest. The present value of money is ALWAYS greater than the future value of money, and given the current political situation in USA, the gov't may go broke causing annuity lottery winners to lose their future payments...
Not to mention that a 128.8 million dollar jackpot makes for a WONDERFUL Christmas present!We should all be so lucky.
The only bad part may be Maryland Taxes !!!!!!
This is not factual. The annuity is funded when you win, so regardless of how bad Obummer drives up the deficit and Congress can't pass a balanced budget, any lottery winner receiving annuity payments will still get paid. The question though if the US goes broke is will those annuitants really want to continue to live in the US? I know I wouldn't.
Now if Obummer sought to have government take over the actual funds of lotteries like the government controls Social Security, then this point would be a valid one. But that has not and will not happen...well then again, the way Obummer is having his way with so-called recess appointments, if this came across his desk as another source of funds he could tap I wouldn't put it past him to not do so. After all, he is King Obama, the messiah, our Lord, our Allah and Muhammad (I get this impression given how certain people get all wound up whenever the great one is criticized for his numerous failings).
Anyway, here's hoping the best for those. And no, it would not be cool for PA to win all jackpots. I tell you what, I would like to see folks reaction if IL starts winning the majority of jackpots this year. That would be one surefire way to ensure Obummer does not get reelected since people will cry "conspiracy" and corruption and boot him out of office.
Okay that last statement was a stretch in logic...just wanted to see where my creative license would take me!
Man all this jackpot love all around me PA, Maryland, New Jersey.. DELAWARE'S DAY IS COMING! Congratulations!
Maryland non-residents (winners are from Pa.) would pay 7.5% state tax, not great but better than Maryland residents (9.25%)
You're right about that. Here is the Jackpot Analysis for that drawing: http://www.usamega.com/powerball-jackpot.asp?d=12/24/2011
THE ONLY way for PA a resident to hit the Powerball......I can only remember that the Jackpot hit once in PA.......I could be wrong, but its not often enough.
I use to go to Delaware from PA to buy my tickets.
Someone won a jackpot not too long ago from PA actually..
Yeah, it was just in NOVEMBER that someone in PA won.
http://www.usamega.com/powerball-drawing.asp?d=11/19/2011
If I lived anywhere close to Delaware, I'd always buy my tickets in Delaware. Why? because they allow you to remain completely anonymous and their taxes are the same as majority of the other states both for locals and out of state players.
hmmm are there jobs in Delaware?
were does it say quick pick ( QP )on this ticket !
John,I don't think that's an actual ticket.I think that is just a store print out of the winning numbers.An actual ticket would NOT say "winnings numbers" on it.Just my opinion,I could be wrong.
thanks my bad
too bad we couldn't get these numbers day before the draw
would make it easier to pick
Congrats to the lucky winners.
Now that's what I want for next Christmas....no gift wrapping required. Please, please, please Santa....I have been a very good lotto player this year!!!
Congratulations to the lucky winners.
I use to frequently go over to Pa and De to purchase Powerball tickets.
Now I also like to purchase MegaMillion tickets in other States because of the poor winning habits Maryland has in with Mega.
Congratulations to this Powerball jackpot winner. I hope this is the last Powerball jackpot winner before it goes to $2 per draw.
We have had quite a few Powerball winners here, but it had been a long time until recently. Good luck to all, but I have the next one! :$
dpoly1, I really would be pleased if you won! You have been a wonderful advocate for PA players to hit it big! I'm just trying to get the second tier prize payout as its so far and few that hit that!
Not a fan of MD for its tax structure, I stopped playing there when they nailed their own tax paying residents and then turned around and nailed anyone traveling there to play. They are just creating deterrents for playing. Its sad when its the Players who PAY for the entire games to exist to be penalized all in the name of "TAX".
I'd be MORE SICK then happy if I claimed that kind of jackpot only to have half of it taken away...
No, I believe the FINE print indicates that the Pennsylvania Lottery Headquarters will be required to make the following deductions before performing electronic finds transfer to winners: Paying 7.5% Non-Resident tax to State of Pennsylvania, PLUS 1.75% (difference between 9.25% and 7.5%) "deficiency/differential" Resident Tax to State of Maryland.
So, one finds that the happy jackpot winners still end up paying a total of 9.25% in state taxes (between two states). This multi-state situation doesn't occur too often, so journalists don't know how to ask the right questions to the appropriate state's lottery payroll offices ...
Anyhow, it's still a lot of net monies after the approximate 44.25% in fed and states taxes are deducted this year 2012 and 2013 year at their next tax filing (or earlier)! Congratulations to the winners!
City and county of residence
Name of game won
Date of win
Prize amount
In CA, you can't go anomymous. That's what the winner's handbook says.
Honestly, I am losing any hope to win big. But if I won a big one, there's not much to worry because my name is pretty <snip> common. :)
That's not how it works. It's a Maryland prize, so the payment, and withholdings, will all be handled by Maryland. Since the income is from Maryland they're also the ones with the right to tax the incom, regardless of where the winners live. Since the winners are non-residents they'll pay Maryland income taxes at the non-resident rate of 7.5%. Pennsylvania, like most (probably all) states, allows a credit for income taxes paid to other states. Since even the non-resident rate in Maryland is higher than Pennsylvania's rate the credit will offset all of the tax that would otherwise be owed to Pennsylvania.
Oh, I noticed that I accidentally typed "Pennsylvania" when I should have been typing "Maryland;" where the ticket was purchased.
Sorry and cheers ... it's another BIG, exciting solo ticket jackpot win!
Anonymous? Since when can do that? How do we know they are even legit winners?
They are PA residents that bought the ticket in MD, so don't the MD rules apply? I have no idea.