$1 million Powerball ticket was forgotten for months in woman’s wallet — until now
After discovering an old lottery ticket in her wallet, a Maryland woman wanted to see if she won a small prize.
She won a prize, but it was not small. The woman from Worcester County won a $1 million prize from the Sept. 27 Powerball drawing.
When her husband broke the news about the winnings, she didn’t believe him.
“He likes to kid around and I thought he was joking,” she told Maryland Lottery officials in a Feb. 20 news release.
Her husband didn’t believe the winnings at first either.
“There were a lot of zeros. I thought it was some type of promotional message. I scanned it again and got the same numbers,” the husband told lottery officials.
The winner plans to pay off her house and donate to an animal rescue, officials said.
Worcester County is about 140 miles southeast of Baltimore.
What to know about Powerball
To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published February 20, 2024 at 3:57 PM with the headline "$1 million Powerball ticket was forgotten for months in woman’s wallet — until now."
