Powerball player misses $102M jackpot by one number — but still wins big in Vermont
A Powerball player in Vermont narrowly missed a jackpot worth more than $100 million, but they still won the biggest prize of the night.
A Price Chopper grocery store in Rutland sold the ticket, which matched five out of six numbers to win $2 million, the Vermont Lottery announced Jan 18.
The next highest win in the Jan. 17 drawing was $50,000, according to Powerball.
The Vermont winner opted to pay extra for Power Play, which doubled what would have been a $1 million prize. They beat the 1-in-11,688,053.52 odds to match all five white balls, but they missed the red Powerball, which would have won the $102 million jackpot.
People celebrated the win on Facebook, saying “finally” Vermont had a big winner.
“Nice to see a Vermont winner,” a Facebook user wrote.
The Jan. 20 drawing will climb to an estimated jackpot of $120 million.
Rutland is in central Vermont, about 70 miles southwest of Montpelier.
What to know about Powerball
To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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