Illinois gas station ticket wins $1 billion Powerball jackpot
A Powerball ticket bought at a Hy-Vee gas station in Quincy, Illinois, matched the winning numbers and secured a $1 billion prize, the first jackpot win in three months.
A Powerball ticket sold at a Hy-Vee gas station in Quincy, Illinois, matched the winning numbers drawn Wednesday night and claimed the $1 billion jackpot, ending a three-month stretch without a top-prize winner. The numbers were 4-26-66-67-69 with the Powerball 9, according to Illinois Lottery officials. It has not been confirmed whether the ticket holder has identified themselves.
The prize can be taken as an annuity paid over 29 years or as a lump-sum payment of $450.5 million, with most winners opting for the cash option. The $1.04 billion award ranks as the eighth-largest Powerball jackpot in the game's history. The next drawing will reset the jackpot to $20 million.
"Congratulations to our newest Powerball jackpot winner in Illinois," said Stephen Durrell, chair of the Powerball Product Group and executive director of the Kansas Lottery, in a statement.
Four other tickets in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina matched five of the numbers but missed the Powerball, each earning $1 million. A ticket in Massachusetts matched all numbers except the Powerball and won $2 million thanks to the optional Power Play multiplier. More than three million tickets claimed smaller cash prizes.