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A record-setting jackpot was won in Minnesota last night, but are you the lucky ticket holder?
The jackpot-winning ticket
The jackpot for the Wednesday, June 26, drawing of Gopher 5 from the Minnesota Lottery was at a record high: $2.05 million. After the winning numbers were drawn, Lottery officials confirmed one lucky ticket matched all five of the numbers drawn to win the jackpot.
The winning Gopher 5 numbers drawn for last night's drawing were 16, 29, 35, 43, and 46. The winning ticket was purchased at Orton's Baxter Holiday, located at 5610 Fairview Road in Baxter. For selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the retailer will receive a $5,000 bonus from the Minnesota Lottery.
The lucky winner must claim their prize at Minnesota Lottery headquarters in Roseville. Lottery officials recommend calling ahead to check hours and to make an appointment.
Breaking records
The $2.05 million jackpot win last night was the biggest Gopher 5 jackpot in the state's history. The previous Gopher 5 record was $2.03 million, which was won on a ticket purchased at Steve's Corner in St. James on November 8, 2005.
That lucky ticket was claimed by a group of 22 co-workers from the Watonwan County Highway Department/Public Works Department.
While the name of this new winner may be released once the prize is claimed, it may also remain a mystery. Starting September 1, 2021, the names and cities of lottery prize winners above $10,000 are private data in Minnesota. So, unless the winner chooses to opt in to publicity, their name and city will not be released by Lottery officials.
Other Minnesota Lottery big wins
While this $2.05 million Gopher 5 win is record-breaking, it isn't the largest jackpot ever won in the state. Heck, it's not even the biggest jackpot won in the state in 2024!
On April 30, a Minnesota mom of two claimed a $3.1 million Lotto America jackpot. She matched all the winning numbers for the April 24 drawing to win the jackpot. The winning numbers for that drawing were 7, 12, 17, 22, and 52, with the Star Ball being 3.
Speaking of those winning numbers, the lucky mom happened to tell Lottery officials that she used family birth dates that her mom had talked about during a recent video chat. After finding out that she won, she told officials:
“I couldn't believe it — I've never seen so many zeros before!”
Now that she has her winnings, she said she plans on buying a plane ticket to visit her mom, who happens to live in Southeast Asia. She urged everyone:
“Always listen to your mom!”
As far as the biggest jackpot ever won in Minnesota, that took place in August 2011 when a couple in Burnsville won $228.9 million playing Powerball. The couple joked about only being able to retire if they won the lottery. Well, it happened in 2011 after they purchased a Quick Pick ticket for Powerball. It didn't take them long to retire after cashing in on the state's biggest win.
Enjoy playing the Minnesota Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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