Lottery

A winning Powerball game was sold at gas station near I-20 in SC. Check your tickets

Somebody who recently stopped at a gas station/convenience store just off of Interstate 20 was one number away from winning nearly $500 million Powerball’s grand prize, according to South Carolina Education Lottery officials.

Although the ticket-buyer didn’t capture the $478 million grand prize in last Wednesday’s drawing, the person will be rewarded with a $50,000 jackpot for coming so close, officials said in a news release.

Now the search is underway for the winner.

The five-figure winning Powerball game was sold at the I-20 Exxon store at 4601 Lamar Highway, according to the release. That’s in Timmonsville, in the part of South Carolina between the Midlands and the Pee Dee regions.

The ticket matched four white ball numbers and the red Powerball number, a feat that has odds of 1-in-913,129 of occurring, officials said.

The winning numbers in the Oct. 23 drawing were 2, 15, 27, 29, 39 and Powerball: 20.

The winner has 180 days to claim the prize, according to lottery officials.

The winner will be allowed to retain some privacy, as South Carolina is one of 11 states — along with Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

“Sign the back of your ticket and put it in a safe location until you’re ready to come forward to claim the prize,” lottery officials said.

For complete information on claiming prizes, go to sceducationlottery.com.

When the ticket is claimed, the gas station is expected to receive a commission for selling the winning game.

In addition to the five-figure winning game, more than 11,000 other Powerball players in South Carolina hold tickets for prizes from $4 up to $50,000, according to the release.

A grand prize winning ticket was sold in Georgia prior to Wednesday’s drawing, so the jackpot for Monday night’s Powerball drawing is now $28 million, officials said.

Anyone looking to buy a ticket must make a purchase by 9:59 p.m. Monday for the 10:59 p.m. drawing. Tickets are $2, and could cost more with additional options.

The odds of winning Powerball’s grand prize are 1-in-293 million.

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Noah Feit
The State
Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription
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