$560 million Powerball jackpot is second win in less than two years for New Hampshire
— -- A lucky winner in New Hampshire woke up Sunday a multimillionaire -- the second time in recent years someone from the Granite State has won Powerball.
The anonymous holder of the winning ticket to the nearly $560 million jackpot got every number right: 12, 29, 30, 33, 61 and the Powerball 26.
Lottery officials confirmed Sunday morning the ticket was sold at Reeds Ferry Market in Merrimack. In July 2016, another winner from New Hampshire won $487 million.
“We cannot even describe our excitement right now at having a $559.7 million Powerball jackpot winner! To have two massive Powerball winners in a year and a half is incredibly thrilling,” said Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery. “We are looking forward to meeting New Hampshire’s latest big winner -- someone woke up a multimillionaire this morning!”
McIntyre said the millions will be great, but the winner -- who has not come forward yet to collect -- should let the moment settle in.
"Winning such an incredible amount of money is truly life-changing, but before the winner begins making plans to buy an expensive yacht or mansion, I would encourage him or her to take a moment and process what winning this prize means," he said.
The odds of winning the Powerball are one in 292.2 million. That's actually better than Mega Millions which are one in 302.5 million.
Debra Douglas, chairman of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, praised the store, which will collect $75,000 for vending the lucky ticket, and the state for the big win.
"This is an extraordinary moment for the New Hampshire Lottery and for Reeds Ferry Market in Merrimack," she said in a statement.
The win comes about a year and a half after New Hampshire was home to another Powerball winner. On July 30, 2016, an anonymous winner struck the $487 million jackpot after purchasing a ticket at a market in the small town of Raymond.
Saturday's Powerball is the second-largest jackpot in the game's history; the first being last year's $758.7 million windfall claimed by a 53-year-old Massachusetts mother last summer.
The lump sum cash option for Saturday night's drawing is $358.5 million. The winner could instead opt for the annuity option and receive 30 years of increased payments -- starting at $8 million the first year and then going up to $34 the final year, according to the statement.
On Friday night somebody also beat those odds and struck the $450 million sum, hitting all the winning numbers 28,30,39,59,70 and the Mega Ball 10. The lucky ticket was purchased at a 7-Eleven in Port Richey, Florida.
Like the Powerball winner, the owner remains a mystery and hasn't come forward to collect the winnings. According to the rules, the winner has 180 days after the drawing to claim an annuity sum.
But to obtain the one-time, lump-sum cash option -- which for the Mega Millions ticketholder comes to $281.2 million -- the claim must be filed within 60 days of the drawing.
