They won't become an overnight billionaire like one lucky winner in California, but someone who purchased a Powerball ticket in New York did get a pretty good consolation prize: Becoming an overnight millionaire.
After 35 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, a Powerball player in California won the $1.73 billion Wednesday night. For those who missed it, the winning numbers were: 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 and the Powerball 10. The winning ticket was sold at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, according to the California Lottery.
And while those playing in the tri-state missed out on the jackpot, there was still a big winner in New York. A player matched five numbers, making them instantly $1 million richer.
So where was the ticket sold? While it wasn't in the tri-state area per se, it was in a spot popular with tourists and those looking for a quick getaway (and especially with horse racing fans, even if the season is over).
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
The million-dollar ticket was sold at a Stewart's shop on Route 9 in Saratoga.
Before someone won the giant prize, the drought of winners stretched back to July 19 when another player in California matched all six numbers and won $1.08 billion.
The jackpot is the world’s second-largest lottery prize after rolling over for 36 consecutive drawings, since the last time someone won the top prize on July 19. That streak trails the record of 41 draws set in 2021 and 2022.
The only top prize that was ever bigger was the $2.04 billion Powerball won by a player in California last November.
Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes becoming ever larger as they repeatedly roll over when no one wins. And wins in recent months have been few and far between.
In most states, a Powerball ticket costs $2 and players can select their own numbers or leave that task to a computer.
The $1.73 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who opts for payment through an annuity, doled out over 30 years. Winners almost always take the cash option, which for Wednesday night’s drawing is estimated at $756.6 million.
Winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
