COLUMBIA, SC (September 1, 2011) – A group of 16 state agency co-workers are dividing up a $200,000 Powerball® prize. After taxes that works out to $8,500 apiece.
The group formed in 2004 and has been buying Powerball® tickets together since. The most they’ve won until today was $80.
“I don’t know what the others are doing, but I’m getting a car,” said one of the two winners that came to the Lottery’s Columbia Claims Center to collect the prize.
She was getting ready for bed last night, when she heard the numbers (13, 19, 35, 47, 57, PB 29) on television, jotted them down, checked the photocopy she had of the Powerball® ticket and realized the first five numbers matched. It was midnight before she finished calling the group’s members hearing the same thing over and over—“I don’t believe it.”
Winner’s ages range from the late 30’s to one retiree. This morning all 16 gathered at the office to make plans. Word spread quickly throughout the state agency.
“Some that used to play and didn’t this time were upset,” laughed the group’s manager and sole retired member. “I’m getting tired of collecting the money, so maybe someone else will now.”
Others are sure to want to join, but not so fast. “We are an established group, so they will have to form their own,” said the other spokesperson.
Had they spent the extra $1 for PowerPlay®, the ticket would have been worth $1 MILLION.
“I keep telling them to PowerPlay®, and we used too,” said one of the winners. “But the majority rules, and they thought we could get more tickets the other way.”
The group purchases a ticket for several drawings in advance, so their winning ticket is good through the September 21 Powerball® drawing.
Every retailer that sells a claimed ticket of $10,000 or more earns a 1 percent retailer commission, capped at $50,000. EZ Food Mart in Columbia received $2,000.
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The group formed in 2004 and has been buying Powerball® tickets together since. The most they’ve won until today was $80.
“I don’t know what the others are doing, but I’m getting a car,” said one of the two winners that came to the Lottery’s Columbia Claims Center to collect the prize.
She was getting ready for bed last night, when she heard the numbers (13, 19, 35, 47, 57, PB 29) on television, jotted them down, checked the photocopy she had of the Powerball® ticket and realized the first five numbers matched. It was midnight before she finished calling the group’s members hearing the same thing over and over—“I don’t believe it.”
Winner’s ages range from the late 30’s to one retiree. This morning all 16 gathered at the office to make plans. Word spread quickly throughout the state agency.
“Some that used to play and didn’t this time were upset,” laughed the group’s manager and sole retired member. “I’m getting tired of collecting the money, so maybe someone else will now.”
Others are sure to want to join, but not so fast. “We are an established group, so they will have to form their own,” said the other spokesperson.
Had they spent the extra $1 for PowerPlay®, the ticket would have been worth $1 MILLION.
“I keep telling them to PowerPlay®, and we used too,” said one of the winners. “But the majority rules, and they thought we could get more tickets the other way.”
The group purchases a ticket for several drawings in advance, so their winning ticket is good through the September 21 Powerball® drawing.
Every retailer that sells a claimed ticket of $10,000 or more earns a 1 percent retailer commission, capped at $50,000. EZ Food Mart in Columbia received $2,000.
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