A LUCKY lottery player won $1 million from his Powerball ticket but didn’t walk away with the full amount.
Firefighter Trent Baker from Newton, Iowa, claimed his Powerball prize on April 8.
He bought five tickets for the April 6 drawing and checked the Iowa Lottery app on his phone the morning after.
The player’s phone buzzed on the second ticket signifying his win, but Baker could barely believe it.
“I saw a 1 and a bunch of zeroes and I wasn’t quite sure what it was right away, if it was a million, if it was a billion,” he said.
“At that moment, it was panic mode.”
His mom didn’t believe him when he called her to break the news.
“I was like, ‘I wouldn’t call you at 6:45 in the morning if I didn’t win the lottery!'” he recalled to Iowa Lottery chiefs.
CLAIMING CASH
After Baker left work, he brought his ticket to a local convenience store asking a clerk to confirm it was a $1 million winner.
He originally purchased it from a Hy-Vee grocery store in Newton — about 35 minutes east of Des Moines — and the retailer was rewarded with a $1,000 bonus.
Baker told Iowa Lottery chiefs he felt the timing was coincidental while claiming his prize, as it linked up with the 2024 solar eclipse.
“I was making the joke that man, there’s a lot going on this weekend: an earthquake in New York, a total eclipse, I won the lottery,” he said.
“What else is going to happen next? Maybe we shouldn’t ask that question.”
Baker soon discovered he couldn’t take home the full lotto loot.
TAXED PRIZE
The Iowa Lottery withholds 5% of prizes over $600 for state taxes.
Plus there’s a 24% federal tax deduction for lottery prizes over $5,000.
Ways to win the Powerball
Powerball drawings happen three times a week. There are several ways to win.
- Match five white balls and the Powerball for the jackpot (one in 292,201,338 odds)
- Match five white balls for $1 million (one in 11,688,053.52 odds)
- Match four white balls and the Powerball for $50,000 (one in 913,129.18 odds)
- Match four white balls for $100 (one in 36,525.17 odds)
- Match three white balls and the Powerball for $100 (one in 14,494.11 odds)
- Match three white balls for $7 (one in 579.76 odds)
- Match two white balls and the Powerball for $7 (one in 701.33 odds)
- Match one white ball and the Powerball for $4 (one in 91.98 odds)
- Match the Powerball for $4 (one in 38.32 odds)
That means Baker was left with $710,000, but the prize could’ve been shaved down even more if he claimed it as a one-time lump sum.
Baker was still thrilled about his win though.
He spoke with a financial planner to determine how much of the prize he’d use to pay off his student loans.
As for the rest of his winnings, he said he plans to invest it to set himself up for future success.
“I’m 17 years away from retirement. This could help impact my retirement even more,” Baker said.
He noted how he didn’t want to “squander” his fortune.
“That was kind of my motivation behind it: This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, let’s make it last as much as possible.”
POWER PRIZE
Another Powerball prize worth $1.3 billion was scooped up in Portland, Oregon.
The convenience store that sold the ticket, Plaid Pantry, is no stranger to lottery wins.
Last summer, it sold a Megabucks ticket worth $3.3 million to a man named Carl Meinig.
The store received a $33,000 reward for that sale and will get an additional $100,000 for selling the jackpot-Powerball ticket.
Plaid Pantry’s CEO was thrilled his store sold another winning ticket.
As for the $1.3 billion Powerball winner, they have yet to be identified by name.
The U.S. Sun covers more lottery stories about Mega Millions drawings and unclaimed winners.
A Mega Millions ticket bought in California is worth $1,748,612 and remains unclaimed.
Read why another $1 million lottery winner had to forfeit 30% of his prize.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling online.
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