Updated

Updated · FOX 5 DC · Aug 2

Maryland Lands Another $1 Million Powerball Win as Jackpot Climbs to $748 Million

Updated

Updated · FOX 5 DC · Aug 2

Maryland Lands Another $1 Million Powerball Win as Jackpot Climbs to $748 Million

Q: With back-to-back million-dollar tickets sold in Maryland, is there a hidden secret to beating the astronomical Powerball odds?

No. Back-to-back $1 million Powerball tickets in Maryland do not point to a hidden method for beating the game; they are what randomness looks like in a high-volume lottery. Powerball’s odds are fixed by the game’s design: players choose five white balls from 69 and one Powerball from 26. The jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338 per play, and the odds of matching the first five numbers for a $1 million prize are about 1 in 11.7 million. Those odds do not improve because a state recently had winners, because a jackpot is larger, or because a ticket is bought at a “lucky” store. What can create the impression of a pattern is simple sales volume. Maryland Lottery said more than 30,000 tickets in Saturday’s drawing won some prize. In a game sold across 45 states plus other jurisdictions, million-dollar tickets will regularly appear somewhere, and occasionally in the same state close together. That is statistically unusual, but not evidence of a secret. Experts and lottery officials consistently reject common myths: there is no advantage in using “hot” or “cold” numbers, buying the last ticket of the day, choosing birthdays, or playing in a bigger city. Past drawings do not influence future ones, and every ticket has the same mathematical chance. The only real way to increase your chance is to buy more tickets, but only marginally and at additional cost. In practical terms, there is no proven strategy to beat Powerball odds—only random chance.

Q: What happens when a single missing number costs you a massive $748 million jackpot but still makes you a millionaire?

It means you came within one number of the jackpot, but under Powerball’s fixed prize structure that still pays a major second-tier prize: $1 million for matching all five white balls and missing only the red Powerball. That is what happened to the ticket sold at the 7-Eleven on Rhode Island Avenue in College Park, Maryland. The winning numbers were 6, 17, 27, 38 and 50, with Powerball 5. Because no ticket matched all six numbers, no one won the advertised jackpot and it rolled to an estimated $748 million for the next drawing, with a cash option of $325.1 million. The Maryland ticket therefore remains a $1 million winner, not a share of the jackpot. The gap between the two outcomes is enormous because Powerball prizes are based on exact match tiers. Matching five white balls has odds of about 1 in 11.7 million and pays $1 million. Matching those five plus the Powerball has odds of 1 in 292.2 million and wins the jackpot. One missed number changes the prize category completely. For the winner, the practical next step is to claim the ticket in Maryland, where it was sold. Maryland winners have 182 days from the drawing date to claim. Prizes over $600 require identification and proof of Social Security or tax ID, and large claims are handled through the Maryland Lottery Claims Center, generally by appointment. Taxes will also reduce the final payout: for prizes over $5,000, Maryland withholds 24% federal tax and 9.5% state tax for residents.

3 articles · Updated · FOX 5 DC · Aug 2

$748 million is the estimated annuity jackpot for Monday's Powerball drawing after no ticket hit Saturday night's top prize.
A 7-Eleven ticket sold in College Park won $1 million by matching the first five numbers—6, 17, 27, 48 and 50—but missing the Powerball 5.
A Catonsville ticket sold at Max Liquors also won $50,000, and the College Park prize gave Maryland a second straight drawing with a $1 million winner after a July 29 win in Odenton.
The jackpot has been rolling since May 2, when winning tickets in Florida and Texas split the last top prize.