PA Lottery Sells Powerball Ticket Worth $2 Million in Elk County, Jackpot Rolls to $475 Million

MIDDLETOWN, Pa., May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Before the Powerball® jackpot rolled to $475 million for the May 18 drawing, one Powerball ticket worth $2 million from the May 15 drawing was sold at Sheetz, 117 S. Michael St., Saint Marys, Elk County.

The May 15 winning ticket correctly matched all five white balls drawn, 02-11-26-34-41, but not the red Powerball 32, and added Power Play^®, which sets the prize at $2 million, less 25 percent federal withholding. Without the Power Play option, the prize amount would have been $1 million.

The retailer will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling this winning ticket.

Lottery officials cannot confirm the identity of the winner until the prize is claimed and the ticket is validated. Pennsylvania Lottery Powerball winners have one year from the drawing date to claim prizes.

The Lottery encourages the holder of the winning ticket to sign the back of the ticket, call the Lottery at 717-702-8146 and file a claim at any of Lottery's seven area offices or at Lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County.

Claims may be filed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at area offices and at headquarters from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More than 187,100 other Pennsylvania Lottery Powerball tickets won prizes of varying amounts in the May 15 drawing.

In the 2011-12 fiscal year, in addition to awarding nearly $7.3 million in prizes to Elk County winners, the Pennsylvania Lottery contributed more than $3.5 million to programs serving the county's older residents.

The Powerball jackpot for May 18, offering an annuity value of $475 million or a $302.4 million cash prize, is the second-largest jackpot in the game's history. The largest Powerball jackpot was won last Nov. 28, 2012, when a $587.5 million jackpot was shared by two tickets sold in Arizona and Missouri.

How to play Powerball: Players pay $2 and select five white balls from the first set of 59 numbers plus a single red ball, the Powerball, from a second set of 35 numbers. Players may select their own numbers using a Powerball playslip, or they may opt for computer-selected quick picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn plus the Powerball number to win the jackpot. There also are eight additional ways for players to win a cash prize. Drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday.

Powerball is sold in 43 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

About the Pennsylvania Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery that designates all its proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since its inception in 1971, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed more than $22.6 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free transit and reduced-fare shared rides; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state.

The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds its players to play responsibly. Players must be 18 or older.

For drawings results, winning numbers, winners' stories and to subscribe to the Lottery's RSS news feed, visit www.palottery.com. Also log in to Facebook and like us at www.facebook.com/palottery or follow us at www.twitter.com/palottery. 

Media contact: Lauren Piccolo or Gary Miller, 717-702-8008

SOURCE Pennsylvania Lottery