A player in California won a $1.73 billion Powerball jackpot Wednesday night, ending a long stretch without a winner of the top prize. The winning numbers were: 22, 24, 40, 52, 64, and the Powerball 10. The winning ticket was sold at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, according to the California Lottery. "The phone's been ringing off the hook, people saying congratulations. Pretty crazy," the store's night worker, identified only as Duke, told KCAL-TV. "Somebody owes me a truck," he said with a smile. "A lot of customers come in, you know they come in every day to get their tickets, religiously. And a lot of them ... said: 'Oh, if I win I'm gonna get you a new truck.' So where's my truck? I'll be waiting."
He expected the winner will be a resident of the small mountain town in Kern County, 50 miles south of Bakerfield. Before someone won the giant prize, there had been 35 consecutive drawings without a big winner, stretching back to July 19 when a player in California matched all six numbers and won $1.08 billion, the AP reports. The jackpot is the world's second-largest lottery prize after rolling over for 36 consecutive drawings. That streak trails the record of 41 draws set in 2021 and 2022. The only top prize that was ever bigger was the $2.04 billion Powerball won by a player in California last November.
The $1.73 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who opts for payment through an annuity, doled out over 30 years. Winners almost always take the cash option, which for Wednesday night's drawing is estimated at $756.6 million. Winnings are subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings, although California is one of the 14 that doesn't, Forbes reports.
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