First-timer decides to give Powerball a try — the winning numbers left her screaming
Rebecca Powell recently decided to try her hand at the lottery — and the results left her restless.
The 48-year-old from Weaverville, North Carolina, bought a Powerball ticket for the first time on Saturday, Jan. 7, she told N.C. Education Lottery officials, according to a Jan. 11 news release.
“I thought I’d just give it a try,” she said.
Later that day, Powell watched her ticket as the winning numbers were called.
“I was looking at the numbers and then I screamed at my husband,” she told officials. “I said, ‘Oh my God we won.’”
Powell’s $3 Power Play ticket won her $50,000, but then she hit the 3X Power Play multiplier, too, bringing her prize to $150,000, according to officials.
“I never would ever think I would win something like this,” Powell said. “The lady at the store told me, ‘You truly have beginner’s luck.’”
After tax withholdings, Powell took home $106,876. She told officials she plans to buy a car and put money toward a new house.
“It’s like a dream,” she said. “Except I haven’t been able to sleep.”
Weaverville is about 10 miles north of Asheville.
This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 1:47 PM with the headline "First-timer decides to give Powerball a try — the winning numbers left her screaming."
