Powerball player thought he ‘might win $20.’ His actual prize leaves him in shock

An Arkansas man nearly came away with a $302 million Powerball jackpot, but he still won a life-changing prize.

The player, who Arkansas Lottery officials referred to as David W., of Mena, purchased a Powerball ticket at a convenience store ahead of the Oct. 5 drawing.

The nine-digit jackpot prize caught the eye of many lottery players, but David had his sights set much lower.

“I might win $20,” he told lottery officials he thought before the drawing.

Matching four of the five winning numbers, as well as the Powerball number, his prize was much larger than he ever expected.

Because he chose the Power Play option with his ticket, what would have been a $50,000 win doubled to $100,000.

“I immediately turned around and told my wife,” he told lottery officials. “We were just totally surprised.”

The winning numbers of the Oct. 5 drawing were 2-12-46-52-65 with the Powerball number 3. He beat odds of 1 in 913,129.18 to win the big prize.

Had David matched the final white ball, he would have won $302 million.

“I don’t even know how I would’ve reacted to that,” he said.

David plans to check with his wife before deciding what to do with his winnings, according to lottery officials.

Mena is about a 135-mile drive southwest from Little Rock.

What to know about Powerball

To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.

Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Powerball player thought he ‘might win $20.’ His actual prize leaves him in shock."