LAUREL, Md. – A woman from Laurel nearly claimed the record Powerball jackpot this week, missing by a single number but still taking home a $50,000 prize.
The player, who used the nickname “Finally!” when claiming her winnings Thursday at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore, said she doesn’t usually play Powerball. Instead, she sticks to Pick 3 and Pick 4. But when the jackpot climbed into the billions, she decided to try her luck, choosing numbers tied to family birthdays and ages.
After the Sept. 3 drawing, she checked her ticket and noticed just how closely her numbers lined up with the winning combination. She showed the ticket to her husband, who quickly confirmed her prize.
“He said, ‘You won!’” she recalled. She had matched four of the first five white balls plus the red Powerball, enough for a third-tier win worth $50,000.
“I can’t complain,” she said, adding that she plans to use the money to improve her finances. She also noted she may play jackpot games more often now. “You never know!”
The winning ticket was purchased at the Shoppers on Baltimore Avenue in Laurel. The store will also benefit from the sale. The next Powerball drawing is set for Friday, with an estimated annuity jackpot of $1.8 billion and a cash option of $826.4 million.
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Key Points
- Laurel woman won $50,000 after matching four white balls and the Powerball.
- She missed the jackpot by just one number in the Sept. 3 drawing.
- The winning ticket was sold at a Shoppers store in Laurel.
For one Laurel player, “Finally!” was the perfect name for her Powerball win.
