News writer, Interviewer
California strikes gold (or, rather, green) again!
A lucky ticket sold in the Golden State matched all six winning numbers in the Monday, August 19 Powerball drawing, taking home a massive $44.3 million jackpot. This marks the second Powerball win in California this month, following a $213.8 million jackpot win in Pennsylvania just a week earlier.
The winning numbers were 1, 2, 15, 23, and 28 for the white balls and 10 for the red Powerball. The lucky Californian now has a life-changing decision to make: choose the $44.3 million annuity option with annual payments that increase over time or take a lump sum of $21.9 million (both before taxes).
This win brings the total number of Powerball jackpots won in California to 15. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9, but the odds of winning the jackpot are a much steeper 1 in 292.2 million.
Grocery store stop leads to Powerball payday
The winning ticket was purchased at a Ralphs supermarket on Golden Lantern Street in Dana Point, proving that sometimes, a simple trip to the grocery store can turn into something extraordinary.
More winners nationwide
While the California Lottery took home the jackpot, there were plenty of other winners across the country. The drawing produced a total of 287,245 winning tickets, including a lucky player in Nebraska who matched all five white balls to win a $1 million prize.
Just a week before California claimed its second Powerball jackpot this month, a lucky Pennsylvanian won $213.8 million. The winning ticket was sold at AJ's Pizza in Indiana Township, making the local pizza joint $100,000 richer.
This win marks the 20th time a Powerball jackpot has been won in Pennsylvania since the game started in 1992.
Here are some of the other 2024 Powerball jackpots:
- January 2024: $842.4 million in Michigan
- April 2024: $1.326 billion in Oregon
- May 2024: $214.9 million in Florida
- June 2024: $226.6 million in New Jersey
- July 2024: $139.3 million in Ohio
- August 2024: $213.8 million in Pennsylvania
Thinking of playing Powerball? Here's what you need to know:
Tickets cost $2 each. You can add the Power Play option for an extra $1 to potentially multiply your non-jackpot winnings by up to 5 times (or 10 times if the jackpot is under $150 million).
Pick your numbers! Choose five white balls from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26. Or, let the lottery machine pick random numbers for you with a "quick pick" ticket.
Prizes range from $4 to $1 million (except in California for matching all five white balls), and the jackpot for matching all six balls.
Powerball is available in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Will you be the next Powerball winner? Grab a ticket and see if your numbers match in the next drawing!
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