Someone in Maryland suddenly became $ 731 million richer.
A jackpot-winning Powerball ticket was sold at a convenience store in Lonaconing, Maryland, an unhappy old mining town in the northwest corner of the state, infected with viruses. The ticket matched all six numbers during the Powerball draw on Wednesday night.
The $ 731.1 million jackpot is the fourth largest in Powerball’s 28-year history and the sixth largest lottery jackpot ever in the United States, Powerball announced on Thursday. The draw was Powerball’s biggest jackpot since March 2019, when it rose to $ 768 million.
Powerball did not immediately name the winner. Lottery winners in Maryland can choose to remain anonymous and have at least 182 days to claim the prize.
The winning ticket was sold at Coney Market, a convenience store that sells sandwiches and pizza in Lonaconing, a small town – population of 1,200 – in Allegany County, which has the largest number of Covid-19 boxes per capita in the state . About a quarter of Lonaconing’s population lives below the poverty line, according to census data.
“We were surprised and very happy,” said Richard Ravenscroft, the store owner, in an interview on Thursday. “We don’t know who, but we’re happy for someone.”
The store will receive a $ 100,000 Maryland lottery bonus for selling the winning ticket. The winning numbers in Wednesday’s draw were 40, 53, 60, 68, 69 and a Powerball of 22.
According to Powerball, the winner can choose to have an estimated pre-tax annuity of $ 731.1 million paid in 30 payments over 29 years, or a fixed amount of $ 546.8 million, also before tax. The chances of winning a Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million.
Another national lottery closed with a record jackpot this week: Before its draw on Friday, Mega Millions estimates that its jackpot will reach $ 970 million, which would be the second highest jackpot in the game’s history.
A persistent mythology states that big jackpot winners are cursed after their lucky strokes.
An influential study in 1978 found that lottery winners were no happier than their neighbors or more optimistic about the future. Other studies have contested the notion of the so-called lottery curse, suggesting that the overall psychological well-being of the winners returns to normal after receiving the prize.
Ravenscroft, who has owned the Coney Market for six years, said he wishes the winner luck. “I really think they have a great opportunity and I hope they use common sense,” he said.
The Powerball jackpot was last hit in New York in the September 16 draw. Since then, there have been 35 consecutive games without a jackpot winner until Wednesday.
The next draw will be on Saturday, when the Powerball jackpot will return to $ 20 million.