3 states split $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot, local tickets wins big
LOS ANGELES -- At least three winning tickets were sold in a record $1.6 billion Powerball drawing, including one in Florida, one in Tennessee and one in suburban Los Angeles, a California lottery official said.
Second prize tickets were sold in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
A $2 million ticket was purchased at the Wawa located at 76 Springside Road in Westampton, Burlington County, according to lottery officials.
Three $1 million tickets in Pennsylvania matched five of the white balls drawn and were sold by the following retailers:
Landhope Farms, 101 E. Street Road, Kennett Square, Chester County;
Turkey Hill, 5 W. Clay St., Lancaster, Lancaster County; and
Top Star Express, 216 Nazareth Pike, Bethlehem, Northampton County.
The Delaware Lottery reports three tickets won $50,000.
The three jackpot winners overcame odds of 1 in 292.2 million to land on the winning numbers, 4-8-19-27-34 and Powerball 10. More winners could still be revealed early Thursday.
No details were immediately available about the Florida and Tennessee winners and none of the winners' identities has been revealed, but the California ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven in Chino Hills, California lottery spokesman Alex Traverso told The Associated Press.
The store and its surrounding strip mall immediately became a wildly popular gathering spot in the usually quiet Los Angeles suburb of 75,000 people. TV footage showed hundreds of people, from news crews to gawkers, crowded the store and spilled into its parking lot.
They cheered and mugged for TV cameras as if it were New Year's Eve or a sporting event. Many chanted, "Chino Hills! Chino Hills!" in celebration of the city. Some took selfies with the store clerk on duty.
The 7-Eleven will get a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket, Traverso said.
Officials with the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs the Powerball game, said they expected more than 85 percent of the possible number combinations would have been bought for the drawing. The odds of winning were 1 in 292.2 million.
Winners have to pay 39.6 percent of the prize in federal income taxes, in addition to any state taxes.
Estimated jackpot amounts, which are released daily, have been steadily rising since Nov. 4, when the jackpot was reset at $40 million.
Powerball tickets are sold in 44 states, as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
The Pennsylvania Lottery says it sold 16,000 Powerball tickets every minute statewide ahead of the big drawing.
"This world-record jackpot has been great for Powerball players and winners, as well as for the older Pennsylvanians who benefit from Lottery proceeds," said Drew Svitko, Executive Director for the Pa. lottery.
According to the Pa. Lottery, the largest Powerball prize Pennsylvania has ever awarded was a $110.2 million cash-value jackpot claimed by a New Jersey couple in May 2004.
ASSOCIATED PRESS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT
