A LUCKY gambler who thought she had won a small prize was shocked when she realized the real value was much higher.
The player, from Missouri, tested her luck in Powerball and won the draw on April 6th.
She thought she had pocketed $100, but she actually matched four numbers in addition to the Powerball, according to the website. Missouri Lottery.
The winner ended up winning a prize 500 times more than she initially thought.
“It was shocking,” she admitted.
“I think it’s a little life-changing.”
She was just one number away from taking home the top prize, which was a whopping $1.33 billion.
The odds of winning $50,000 in Powerball are about one in 913,000, according to the lottery.
Ticket holders will have to defy odds of more than one in 292.2 million if they want to take home the grand prize.
The current Powerball jackpot is $149 million and the next The draw takes place on Saturday night.
It has an estimated prize money of US$68.8 million.
There were no Powerball winners or players who matched five numbers on Wednesday night.
Players in 45 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands can play Powerball.
And the game only costs $2 to play.
Jackpot winners often face the conundrum of how to collect their prize if they get the bumper amount.
They can receive the award all at once or in installments over 29 years.
Experts recommended that route winners should descend.
Edwin Castro, who won a $2 billion Powerball jackpot in November 2022, opted to collect his prize in one lump sum.
Top US Lottery Winners
Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.
- Edwin Castro – $2.04 billion, Powerball, November 8, 2022, California.
- Theodorus Struyck – $1.765 billion, Powerball, October 11, 2023, California.
- Unknown Winner – $1.602 Billion, Mega Millions, August 8, 2023, Florida.
- Marvin and Mae Acosta of Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida – $1.586 billion, Powerball, January 13, 2016.
- Unknown Winner – $1.537 Billion, Mega Millions, October 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
- Winner unknown – he sued his child’s mother to keep his identity hidden – $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, January 13, 2023, from Maine.
- Unknown Winner – $1.337 Billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
- Winner unknown – $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
- Yanira Álvarez – $1.08 billion Powerball, July 19, 2023 in California.
- Wolverine FLL Lottery Club – $1.05 Billion, Mega Millions, January 22, 2021, from Michigan.
- Winner unknown – $842.4 million Powerball, January 1, 2024, from Michigan.
The award was reduced to $997.6 million before taxes.
But lottery winners don’t just have to pay federal taxes on their prizes, they may have to pay a state tax.
The IRS taxes winners at a rate of 24% and state jurisdictions may also receive a proportion of the winnings.
In New York, winners receive a tax rate of 10.9%.
But players in California and Florida are not subject to state lottery taxes.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
