Prayer comes true for South Carolina man who bought a winning Powerball ticket
Before buying a Powerball ticket when the game’s grand prize was $685 million, a Midlands man reached out to God, according to South Carolina Education Lottery officials.
“I said a prayer,” the man said in a Wednesday news release. Information about his prayer wasn’t available, but it didn’t hurt his outcome.
It might have been divine intervention, coincidence or just dumb luck, but the man ended up with a Powerball ticket that matched five of the six numbers in a late November 2025 drawing and was rewarded with a $1 million jackpot, according to the release.
The $1,000,000 winning Powerball game was sold at the Best Stop gas station/convenience store at 5318 Bush River Road, according to the release. That’s in Columbia, near the intersection with St. Andrews Road.
The winning numbers in the Nov. 26 Powerball drawing were 7, 8, 15, 19, 28 and Powerball: 3.
The odds of matching all five white numbers are 1-in-11,688,054, officials said.
The winner didn’t reveal specific plans for his newfound windfall, but told lottery officials that he has given generously to his church. He said he’s not telling anyone about the win.
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.
For selling the claimed ticket, the Best Stop received a commission of $10,000, according to the release.
The current Powerball jackpot
The jackpot for Wednesday’s Powerball drawing is $43 million, according to the game’s website.
Anyone looking to buy a ticket must make a purchase by 9:59 p.m. Wednesday 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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