A POWERBALL winner has narrowly missed out on the multi-million dollar jackpot.
No one was lucky enough to claim the whopping $479 million prize with an estimated cash value of $219.4 million on Saturday night.
One lucky Powerball player has scooped the second-tier prize of $1m but they narrowly missed out on jackpot and could have doubled win with just one decision (stock)[/caption]
Powerball players in Illinois are urged to check their tickets to see if they won the biggest prize of the night (stock)[/caption]
But one player came excruciatingly close with just one wrong number that stopped them from becoming an overnight multimillionaire.
From the millions of players who gave it a go, just one from Illinois claimed the second-tier prize of $1 million.
They correctly got the winning numbers of: 7, 14, 23, 24, 60 but just missed out on winning big by failing to get the Power Ball number of 14.
To make the win even more bittersweet, a key decision they made means they lost out on extra cash.
The player could have doubled their prize and taken home $2 million had they chosen to pay just $1 on top of the cost of the Powerball ticket.
On Saturday night, the $1 Power Play option was 2x which doubles any win for players who choose it.
Unlike the $1m winner, thousands of players did choose that option on Saturday with the majority making smaller wins of $4 and turning it into $8.
But nine of the 28 winners of the third-tier prize of $50,000 doubled it to get $100,000.
Regardless of the missed opportunity, lottery officials are now on the hunt for the lucky winner from Illinois who beat the odds of 1 in 11,688,053.52 to win the million dollar prize.
Players are urged to check their tickets with last night’s numbers to see if it is them.
Meanwhile, the next opportunity to try to scoop the jackpot will be on August 11.
With no winner of the grand prize in the latest draw, it rolls over again to a staggering $501 million.
The cash value is estimated to be $229.5 million .
The jackpot was last scooped by a lucky winner in California on May 31 when they won $204.5 million.
Lucky lottery numbers – fact or fiction?
The U.S. Sun spoke exclusively with professor of mathematics at Davidson College, Tim Chartier, who revealed the truth behind lucky numbers.
Scooping up a jackpot prize in a lottery game such as Powerball or Mega Millions involves correctly guessing a series of numbers.
Many players swear by certain numbers, sticking with digits such as birthdays, anniversaries, or ages – but do these numbers statistically carry the luck that players believe they do?
According to Chartier, they do.
“I think a number is lucky if you have fun playing it and it improves your experience of winning,” he said.
“The big lotteries are, statistically speaking, a chance to dream of being a multi-millionaire or even billionaire. If playing a certain number heightens that experience, then yes!”
However, the lottery expert clarified that aside from the feel-good implications of playing your “lucky numbers,” no number is truly lucky when it comes to the lottery.
“All numbers are equally likely,” said Chartier.
He explained that even though all numbers are equally likely, some may seem to appear more often.
For example, rolling a six-sided die six times does not guarantee that you will roll each number exactly once.
According to Powerball, the odds of winning the jackpot are a staggering 1 in 292,201,338.00.
Meanwhile, a lottery expert has revealed to The U.S. Sun the luckiest cities, stores, and states.
One state holds the record for the most number of lottery wins totalling $20 billion over the last 20 years.
The runner-up is trailing behind with total wins of $9.41 billion.
If you want more chances of scooping a win that doesn’t involve relocating, an expert has shared an easily-followed “rolldown” trick that won a couple millions.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling online.
Top lottery winners in the US
Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.
- Edwin Castro – $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
- Theodorus Struyck – $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
- Unknown winner – $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
- Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida – $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
- Unknown winner – $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
- Unknown winner – he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden – $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
- Unknown winner – $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
- Cheng and Duanpen Saephan, and Laiza Liem Chao – $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
- Rosemary Casarotti – $1.22 billion, Mega Millions, December 27 2024, from California
- Unknown winner – $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, from New Jersey
