The biggest Powerball drawing in history was naturally delayed by several hours. But at least for one ticketholder, it was well worth the wait.
The numbers 10 – 33 – 41 – 47 – 56 with the Powerball 10 matched numbers for one winning ticket sold in Altadena, California, specifically vended by Joe’s Service Center.
That 1-in-292.2-million chance earns someone a record $2.04 billion jackpot.
As a result, the top prize resets to $20 million. But as it grows again, and if a New York Lottery player happens to claim the next jackpot, where would it stand among Powerball jackpots won in the Empire State?
Record-setting Powerball jackpot in California
What was supposed to be a Monday night drawing became a Tuesday morning event after the Multi-State Lottery Association said a “technical issue” caused a delay.
One participating lottery, according to the association, needed extra time to process sales and play data. The Minnesota Lottery later announced that its sales verification system caused a processing delay.
All 48 participating lotteries must submit their sales and plays before winning numbers can be selected, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. This part of Powerball’s “stringent security requirements,” the association said, “protect the integrity of the game” while giving “all players a fair chance to win.”
In the end, though, a winner did emerge, though that party has yet to come forward to claim the first Powerball jackpot since Aug. 3.
Merry Christmas, indeed, for first NY Lottery Powerball winner
Almost 12 years ago to the day, Jeffrey and Christine Pintuff celebrated one heck of a Christmas.
On Dec. 23, 2010, Jeffrey was preparing from holiday visitors when he stopped off at Stewart’s Shop in Saratoga County. He decided to buy a quick-pick Powerball ticket. Two days later, five white balls popped up: 1 – 17 – 38 – 50 – 52. The Powerball: 24.
Yet another two days passed before Jeffrey finally decided to check his numbers online. Then, with his unsuspecting wife nearby, he bellowed: “We won the Powerball!”
The couple came forward more than a month later to claim the $48.8 million jackpot. Despite the delay, Jeffrey was able to retired from an Albany-area compressor manufacturer where he had worked for 30 years. Christine did the same, retiring from her nursing position at Saratoga Hospital.
Ranking 3 biggest New York Powerball jackpots
The three biggest jackpots in New York Powerball history actually occurred within a four-month span in 2018. Over the next nine months, another two Empire State jackpot winners emerged.
In fact, over the past six years, only Florida has as many Powerball jackpot winners as New York with six.
1. Oct. 27, 2018: $343.8 million
No other New York Lottery player claimed as big a prize as Robert Bailey. A Manhattan retiree, the then-67-year-old Bailey had been picking the same numbers for 25 years. Numbers that a family member gave him a quarter of a century earlier, and ones he “faithully” played in the years after.
Naturally, Bailey played those same numbers after purchasing a ticket at the West Harlem Deli: 8 – 12 – 13 – 19 – 27 with the Powerball 4.
Those numbers finally paid off, earning Bailey half of the $687.8 million jackpot along with a woman from Iowa.
Bailey didn’t sleep the rest of the night after discovering his win. Who would?
2. Dec. 26, 2018: $298.3 million
Like the Pintuffs, David Johnson had a very Merry Christmas four years ago.
The truck driver from Brooklyn claimed the second-largest Powerball jackpot in New York Lottery history. Point of clarification, actually: Johnson began that Dec. 26 day as a truck driver; the 56-year-old began early retirement plans two days later.
He paid $5 for a Powerball ticket at Arnold’s Service Station. Following the Dec. 26 drawing, a co-worker told Johnson that Arnold’s sold the winning Powerball ticket.
“I turned to myself,” Johnson reflected at the time, “I said, ‘Aw, that’s not me, man, that’s not my luck.'”
Two days later, after his friend called him a second time to convince him to check the numbers, Johnson conceded.So he went to the store, handed the ticket to the clerk and had it scanned.
“Congratulations,” the clerk told him. Johnson had to scan it again himself. And what he read changed his life: “BIG WINNER.”
With those winning numbers — 5 – 25 – 38 – 52 – 67 – 24 — Johnson skipped around the store in celebration, $298.3 million richer.
3. Aug. 11, 2018: $245.6 million
Nandlall Mangal bought a Powerball ticket in 2018 and went out of town for a week. Imagine the tension building in his mind with each passing day of news reporting that no Powerball winner has emerged to claim the jackpot.
The Staten Island resident purchased a $6 Quick Pick ticket at Stop & Shop on Hylan Boulevard, put it on his table and took off.
While he was gone, little did he know, a victory awaited him in his kitchen, a ticket with the numbers 5 – 43 – 56 – 62 – 68 and a Powerball of 24.
He likely didn’t expect anything. He usually purchased tickets when prizes exceed $100 million. While grocery shopping, he remembered the size of the Powerball jackpot: $245.6 million.
“I decided,” Mangal said later, “that was a good time to buy my tickets.”
Indeed.
When Mangal returned home, he went online to check the Aug. 11, 2018, drawing. And he walked away a multimillionaire.
