Check your tickets. A winning Powerball game was sold at a gas station near I-26 in SC
A person who bought a Powerball ticket at a gas station near Interstate 26 prior to Wednesday’s drawing was one number away from winning the game’s $240 million grand prize, South Carolina Education Lottery officials said Thursday in a news release.
Although the ticket buyer didn’t win the game’s jackpot, the person will be rewarded with a $50,000 payday for coming so close, according to the release.
Now the search is underway for the winner.
The five-figure winning Powerball game was sold at the Murphy Express gas station/convenience store at 2818 Augusta Road in West Columbia, officials said. That’s in an area which is densely packed with retail businesses and restaurants just off Exit 111 on I-26.
The ticket matched four white ball numbers and the red Powerball number in Wednesday’s Double Play drawing, a feat that has odds of 1-in-913,129 of occurring, officials said.
Because the ticket buyer originally purchased the $1 Double Play option with their normal Powerball game, the five-figure prize was won in the second drawing held after the regular Powerball drawing, lottery officials said.
The winning numbers in Wednesday’s Double Play drawing were 14, 35, 43, 48, 54 and Powerball: 1.
The winner has 180 days to claim the prize, according to lottery officials.
The winner will be allowed to retain some privacy, as South Carolina is one of 11 states — along with Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
“Sign the back of your ticket and put it in a safe location until you’re ready to come forward to claim the prize,” lottery officials said.
For complete information on claiming prizes, go to sceducationlottery.com.
The Murphy Express on Augusta Road is expected to receive a commission for selling the winning ticket.
Just outside of the Midlands area of South Carolina, there was another $50,000 winning ticket from Wednesday’s traditional Powerball drawing. That ticket was sold in Greenwood at the Hot Spot gas station/convenience store on U.S. 25 South, according to the release.
The winning numbers in Wednesday’s regular drawing were 1, 23, 25, 28, 61 and Powerball: 13.
Like the winning ticket in the Double Play drawing, this game matched four of the first five numbers drawn and the Powerball number, officials said.
Because there was no grand prize winner in Wednesday’s traditional drawing, the jackpot for Saturday’s Powerball drawing has risen to $260 million, according to the game’s website.
Anyone looking to buy a ticket must make a purchase by 9:59 p.m. Saturday for the 10:59 p.m. drawing. Tickets are $2, and could cost more with additional options.
The odds of winning Powerball’s grand prize are 1-in-293 million.
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This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Check your tickets. A winning Powerball game was sold at a gas station near I-26 in SC."
