Powerball player’s wife found forgotten ticket in Virginia — then ‘she went ballistic’
A Powerball player bought a ticket for a recent drawing, then forgot about it — until his wife found it at their Virginia home.
John Woods’ wife came across the ticket the day after the Monday, April 15, drawing and checked the winning numbers, according to a May 3 news release from the Virginia Lottery.
Her reaction told the Newport News man everything he needed to know.
“She went ballistic, so I knew we’d won something,” Woods told Virginia Lottery officials.
The ticket matched four out of five white balls and the red Powerball to land a $150,000 prize in that night’s drawing, according to Powerball.
When Woods bought the ticket at 7-Eleven, he paid an extra dollar for Power Play, which tripled what would have been a $50,000 win, according to the Virginia Lottery.
He took home the biggest prize of the night, alongside only one other player in the country.
The winning numbers were 7-16-41-56-61, with a Powerball number of 23, according to lottery officials.
Newport News is in southeast Virginia near the coast, roughly a 40-mile drive northwest from Virginia Beach.
The jackpot continues to rise and is estimated to reach $203 million in the Saturday, May 4, drawing.
What to know about Powerball
To score a 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.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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