A LOTTERY player claimed a $1 million prize for a Powerball drawing from April 6.
The 45-year-old lotto player, who remained anonymous, scored the million-dollar jackpot.
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He purchased his lucky ticket at a Wawa in Delaware and used Quick Pick to select his numbers.
The Quick Pick feature allows players to have their numbers randomly selected by the lottery rather than choosing them.
He matched five of the six Powerball numbers to win the second top prize of $1 million.
“I couldn’t believe I won. I thought a friend was playing a joke on me,” he told Delaware Lottery officials.
The winner said his plans for the money are to pay off his house, buy a car for his mother, and travel with his family.
He couldn’t keep the prize in full though — thanks to lotto regulations out of his control.
TAXED CASH
Every lottery winner is subjected to federal or state tax withholdings.
That means a portion of their lottery prize is treated as taxable income they must give up.
The highest state income tax comes from New York, with an 8.82% tax withdrawal rate on lottery prizes.
Certain states don’t have tax withholdings on lottery prizes, including Delaware.
Other states that don’t impose automatic tax withholdings include California and Florida.
The Powerball winner couldn’t dodge all tax withholdings though.
If a lottery player wins more than $5,000 from the Powerball or Mega Millions, the IRS automatically withholds 24% in federal taxes.
That means the winner had to forfeit $240,000 of their prize upfront.
Top lottery winners in the US
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Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.
- Edwin Castro– $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
- Theodorus Struyck– $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
- Unknown winner – $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
- Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida – $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
- Unknown winner – $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
- Unknown winner – he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden – $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
- Unknown winner – $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
- Unknown winner – $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
- Yanira Alvarez– $1.08 billion Powerball, July 19, 2023 in California.
- Wolverine FLL Lottery Club – $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, from Michigan.
- Unknown winner – $842.4 million Powerball, Jan. 1, 2024, from Michigan.
MEGA MONEY
Mega Millions fans might want to check their old tickets for an unclaimed $2 million Mega Millions prize.
The ticket was purchased at a Stop & Shop in Bristol, Rhode Island for a February 2 drawing.
The matched numbers drawn were 11, 22, 42, 64, and 69, while the player missed 18 for the Mega ball number.
The prize will expire on February 2, 2025, a year from the drawing date.
The U.S. Sun covers lottery stories on the biggest winners like Edwin Castro.
A lottery player from Washington won $4 million but had to give up half their jackpot.
Meanwhile, another jackpot worth $394,216 still needs to be scooped up.