News writer
Virginia Lottery player Miriam Long had been watching the Mega Millions jackpot get higher and higher over the past few weeks, and she wanted to buy a ticket to try for that Mega Millions jackpot. The Christiansburg resident went to the Virginia Lottery machine at the CVS located at 1775 South Main Street in Blacksburg. But when she went to purchase her ticket, she accidentally hit the button for a Powerball ticket.
That was one lucky accident because that Powerball ticket ended up winning Miriam a cool $1 million. She matched the first five winning numbers and missed the Powerball number in the March 18 drawing. She selected a Quick Pick, so the computer randomly chose the numbers for her. The winning numbers were 10, 17, 20, 39, 44, and Powerball number 16.
In an interview with the Virginia Lottery, Miriam said:
It's the best mistake of my life!
When she realized how much she had won, she couldn't believe her eyes. “My heart was pounding!” she said. “It's overwhelming.”
Mega Millions $1.3 billion jackpot claimed
Since Miriam purchased her accidental Powerball ticket, the Mega Millions jackpot of $1.3 billion was won on March 26 by a single player in New Jersey. The player has yet to come forward to claim their prize. The ticket was purchased from ShopRite Wines & Spirits, located at 2200 NJ-66 in Neptune City.
This was the fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the seventh-largest in the history of the US Lottery. The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 302,575,350. The jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing on Friday, April 5, is an estimated $67 million.
Powerball jackpot rolls over again
There were no jackpot winners in last night's Powerball drawing, so the jackpot rolls over again to reach a massive $1.23 billion. The winning numbers in last night's drawing were 11, 38, 41, 62, 65, and Powerball number 15. The Power Play was 3X. There were no $2 million match 5 plus Power Play winners. Nine lucky winners matched five numbers without the Powerball. The Power Play boosted their win to $2 million. These winners are in the following states:
- California x 2
- Georgia
- Maine x 2
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- South Carolina
- Washington
$50,000 prizes were won by 64 players who matched 4 white balls and the Powerball. The 3X Power Play boosted their win to $150,000.
The next Powerball drawing for the jackpot of $1.23 billion will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 10:59 p.m. You have until 10 p.m. on that day to purchase tickets. Powerball costs $2 to play. For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times.
Enjoy playing Powerball, and please remember to play responsibly.
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