North Carolina

Someone in North Carolina won a hefty Powerball prize and might not know it

Someone in North Carolina won a big Powerball prize and may not know it, lottery officials said as the ultimate jackpot soared past $300 million on Saturday.

No one claimed the $100,000 prize won in Wednesday’s drawing on a $3 Power Play ticket, according to a lottery news release.

The winner purchased the ticket at Big Al’s Mini Mart on Jackson Street in Roanoke Rapids, officials said. The buyer has six months to claim the prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh, according to lottery rules.

Five players have snared Powerball prizes between $100,000 and $1 million since the last jackpot winner on Oct. 4, officials said.

“We love seeing North Carolinians winning these big prizes,” according to a post on the lottery website, NCLottery.com. “Everyone should remember that even if the jackpot isn’t won, there are still other big prizes that can be claimed.”

The jackpot in Saturday night’s drawing stood at $307 million, according to the Powerball page on the lottery website.

The winner could choose to take the astronomical amount as a $307 million annuity or $224.7 million in cash.

The odds of winning a jackpot are 1 in 292 million, according to the lottery.

The jackpot in the Mega Millions game is mushrooming, too. The jackpot stood at $135 million, or $98.5 million in cash, on Friday. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302 million, officials said.

Players can buy Powerball and Mega Millions tickets at lottery retailers, through Online Play on NCLottery.com and the lottery app.

This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Someone in North Carolina won a hefty Powerball prize and might not know it."

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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