RALEIGH – Durham resident Michael J. Kelly is the first player in the state to claim $1 million playing the new Powerball game, which is five times more than he would have won in the old game. He said he planned to use his winnings to put toward his retirement.

Kelly matched all five white balls but not the red Powerball in the Feb. 8 drawing. He purchased his winning ticket at the Eno Family Fare on Neal Road in Durham. After taxes were withheld, Kelly received a check worth $680,000.

Before the game’s update in mid-January, the amount won for matching all five white balls but not the Powerball was $200,000.

“A big reason the Powerball game was changed was to provide bigger prizes,” said Alice Garland, the lottery’s executive director. “The $1 million prizes for matching five white balls are a great example of how the game has been improved.”

Another $1 million-winning Powerball ticket from the Feb. 4 drawing has yet to be claimed. The ticket was sold at the Wilco on Western Boulevard in Jacksonville. Players have 180 from the draw date to claim their prize.

The jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is currently $70 million if taken as an annuity or $42.6 million if taken as a lump sum.

Since the lottery began through June 30, 2011, Durham County education programs received more than $40.1 million in lottery funds. By law, those funds pay for teachers’ salaries, school construction, need-based college scholarships and prekindergarten programs.

To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2.2 billion for these initiatives statewide.