A Powerball jackpot ticket worth a lump sum of $127 million before taxes was sold in North Carolina’s Brunswick County, the lottery announced Thursday.
The ticket was sold at a Scotchman convenience store on Whiteville Road in Shallotte. The store is just off U.S. 17, about 13 miles north of the South Carolina border. There was no information about who bought the winning ticket.
But lottery officials had a message: Keep the ticket safe, and take your time.
“We look forward to meeting the jackpot winner, but the most important thing for the winner to do today is sign the back of the ticket and secure it in a safe place,” said Alice Garland, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “This is a life-changing event. The lucky winner should take some time and get sound professional advice before coming in to get the big check.”
The North Carolina winning ticket is one of three jackpot winners sold in advance of last night’s drawing. The other two winners are in Puerto Rico and Texas.
Almost all Powerball winners choose to take the winnings in a lump sum.
If that happens, the winners will split $381.1 million before taxes.
The North Carolina winner would receive about $127 million before taxes.
The North Carolina state income tax rate of 5.75 percent would apply to that amount. That means the state taxes paid would be about $7.3 million, lottery officials confirmed on Thursday.
The winner has 180 days to claim the winning prize.
Wednesday’s jackpot was the third-largest in Powerball history and the fifth-largest U.S. lottery prize, though splitting it among three winners will mean other individuals have won more.
The winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing were 11, 13, 25, 39, 54 and the Powerball was 19.
The jackpot now goes back to $40 million for the next drawing on Saturday.
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