California Powerball player to claim record US$2 billion jackpot
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A display check is seen at Joe's Service Centre, where the single winning ticket for the Powerball lottery drawing was sold.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ATLANTA - A Powerball player in California holds the only winning ticket sold for the US$2.04 billion (S$2.85 billion) jackpot, the lottery game’s website said on Tuesday, ending a string of 40 draws that produced no winners and pushed the top prize into record territory.
The ticket holder, whose identity was not disclosed, can choose to take a lump sum of US$997.6 million cash or receive the full amount in 29 annual payments.
The ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Centre in Altadena, California, about 8km north of Pasedena in Los Angeles County. The owner of the petrol station is hopeful that the winner may be from the neighbourhood.
The odds of matching all six numbers in the draw – 10, 33, 41, 47, 56 and 10 – were one in 292.2 million.
The previous record for a Powerball jackpot was set in 2016 when three ticket holders from California, Florida and Tennessee shared a US$1.59 billion top prize.
The US$2.04 billion Powerball jackpot ranks as a world record for a lottery top prize, according to multiple media reports.
The draw, which had been scheduled for 10.59pm on Monday, was delayed for hours when at least one of the 48 participating state lotteries needed more processing time, according to a tweet from the California Lottery. It did not identify the state in question.
Officials of the Multi-State Lottery Commission, which supervises the Powerball draw, could not be reached by Reuters for comment. REUTERS
