Rebecca Powell of Weaverville bought a Powerball ticket for the first time on Saturday and, hours later, won a $150,000 prize.
“I thought I’d just give it a try,” she said. “The lady at the store told me, ‘You truly have beginner’s luck.’”
Powell, 48, said she has been having trouble processing her big win.
“It’s like a dream,” she said. “Except I haven’t been able to sleep.”
Powell bought the lucky $3 Power Play ticket from the Quickmart 4 on Short Coxe Ave in Asheville.
“When they did the Powerball drawing, I was looking at the numbers and then I screamed at my husband,” she recalled. “I said, ‘Oh my God we won.’”
Her winning ticket matched numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. The prize tripled to $150,000 when the 3X Power Play multiplier hit. One other lucky player, Ronda Isaac of Lincolnton, also won $150,000 in Saturday’s drawing.
“I never would ever think I would win something like this,” Powell said. “I’m going to make this count.”
Powell claimed her prize at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $106,876. She said she wants to buy a car and put some money toward a new home.
Wednesday’s Powerball drawing offers a $360 million jackpot, or $188.7 million in cash. The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.
Players can buy their Powerball tickets at a retail location or with Online Play through the lottery’s website or with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.
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