Huge payout in store in New Hampshire
MERRIMACK, N.H. — It was a billion-dollar lottery weekend after a lone Powerball ticket sold in New Hampshire matched all six numbers and will claim a $559.7 million jackpot, one day after another single ticket sold in Florida nabbed a $450 million Mega Millions grand prize.
Since Reeds Ferry Market opened at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, dozens of excited regulars have stopped by the small, independent convenience store in New Hampshire that sold the winning Powerball ticket to congratulate the owner and chat about the win, store owner Sam Safa said. He said he hopes one of the regulars from the store about 25 miles south of Concord won the nation’s eighth-largest lottery jackpot.
“I’m very excited and overwhelmed,” Safa said. The store will receive a $75,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
The winning Powerball numbers drawn Saturday night were 12-29-30-33-61 and Powerball 26.
The initial jackpot was estimated at $570 million, but the actual jackpot at the time of the drawing fell short of that, New Hampshire Lottery Spokeswoman Maura McCann said.
As of late Sunday, the winner had not yet come forward.
The Florida Lottery said the winning Mega Millions ticket from Friday night’s drawing was bought at a 7-Eleven in Port Richey. The retailer will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the ticket. The identity of that winner also had not yet been revealed.
The winning numbers to claim the Mega Millions jackpot were 28-30-39-5970-10.
The jackpots refer to the annuity options for both games, in which payments are made over 30 years. Most winners opt for cash options, which would be $281 million for Mega Millions and $358.5 million for Powerball.