It’s a prize that’s been building since early June, and a grocery store in California can say it made the sale of the winning Powerball ticket that should lead some lucky winner to it.
According to the California Lottery, that’s where the sale went down of a jackpot-winning ticket that’s sure to change someone’s life.
The Powerball progressive jackpot for Monday’s drawing was worth an estimated $699.7 million, before taxes. Although the win came from a single ticket, little else is known right now.
Winning Powerball ticket sold in California
The California Lottery said a grocery store in Morro Bay made the sale. The solitary ticket matched Monday’s drawing of 12-22-54-66-69 with a Power Ball of 15.
It’s the seventh-largest jackpot in the game’s history. The last time a player won the game’s top prize was June 5. That lull between big wins set a record for Powerball.
Previously, the greatest amount of roll increases between wins was 36. A total of 41 roll increases led to this prize nearing $700 million. The winner will have a choice between 29 annuity payments for the full amount or a lump sum of about $496 million.
The lottery said no one has come forward to claim the prize yet. While that’s sure to be cause for excitement for the winner, they are doing the smart thing by taking their time.
Having a plan for winning Powerball is the best play
While the person or people attached to this win are undoubtedly happy they spent the $2 on the ticket right now, their best move now is to not get ahead of themselves. In fact, the first thing to do with a lottery ticket of this value is to get it into a safe place.
The law in California gives winners 180 days to claim prizes. What’s more, if the 180th day falls on a holiday or weekend, they get until the following business day. So, there’s absolutely no rush.
After securing the ticket, the next wise move is to solicit the services of an attorney and a financial planner. Those professionals can assist winners with:
- Limiting tax liabilities immediately and in the future
- Positioning the money so that it grows over time instead of depletes with age
- Protecting winners’ identities to the extent the law allows
Once the financial adviser and lawyer do their things, then it’s time to contact the California Lottery to claim the prize. You can set up an appointment by calling (800) 568-8379. The lottery has nine district offices throughout the state besides its headquarters in Sacramento.
Hopefully, this windfall will bring years of enjoyment to the winner. For certain, that winning Powerball ticket represents a tremendous return on a $2 play.
