$2 Million Powerball Ticket Bought At Virginia Gas Station
One Powerball ticket holder in Virginia woke up $2 million richer on Thursday morning after they matched five numbers to hit the game’s second prize. The winner’s decision to add Power Play to their ticket paid off, as it doubled the $1 million payout they would have got without it.
August 19th Powerball Numbers
The player from Virginia was the biggest winner in the Powerball drawing on Wednesday August 19th. The five winning numbers were 13, 23, 47, 55, and 58, and the Powerball was 23. No one else managed to match five numbers but there were six ticket holders in total who matched four plus the Powerball.
It was confirmed soon after the drawing that the big winner from Virginia bought their ticket from Rushmere Station Food Mart, a gas station at 4761 Old Stage Highway, near the mouth of the James River. The store is set to receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Virginia Lottery rules state that the winner has 180 days from the date of the winning draw to claim the prize. When the winner does step forward to claim they will not be able to remain anonymous, as in Virginia the identity of anyone who wins less than $10 million is a matter of public record. Big jackpot winners in the state do not have to disclose their identities, but the same cannot be said of Wednesday’s $2 million winner.
As for Powerball jackpot winners in Virginia, the state has only ever seen one. That was back in 2013, when Dave Honeywell from Fredericksburg won $217 million and became the biggest winner in VA Powerball history. Despite a number of close calls since then, the Virginia Lottery is still awaiting its next big winner.
10x Power Play Picked
There was no jackpot winner in Wednesday’s drawing, but it was a good night for all Power Play ticket holders, as the 10x multiplier was picked, providing a huge boost to the prize money of anyone who paid the extra dollar to add it. In total, more than $5 million was added to the prize pool thanks to the Power Play.
The one player who did add it and matched four numbers plus the Powerball will be feeling particularly pleased with the result, as their prize increased from $50,000 to $500,000. There were five other players who matched four numbers plus the Powerball without adding the Power Play, so they missed out on the extra $450,000.
The million-dollar prize for matching five numbers can only ever increase to $2 million with Power Play, regardless of which multiplier is selected, so it didn’t make a difference to Virginia’s winner which one appeared in Wednesday’s drawing.
The result continues an incredible run of appearances for the 10x multiplier, as it has now been picked three times since the start of July. It can only ever be picked when the estimated Powerball jackpot is $150 million or less, and since July 1st there have been 13 such drawings - it was picked in three of those. Prior to that, it had been picked only nine times since 2006!
When it’s in play, the chances of the 10x multiplier being selected are 1 in 43, so the fact that it has been picked three times in 13 drawings is way over the usual Powerball odds. The 10x Power Play is in the mix on Saturday too, as the Powerball jackpot is $29 million. It has never been picked in consecutive drawings, so if that happens it will be another record to add to the books.
Published: Friday, August 21, 2020Updated: Friday, August 28, 2020
