Single $473.1 million Powerball ticket sold in Arizona

A single lottery ticket sold in Arizona won Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot of $473.1 million, lottery officials said.

The winning numbers in the drawing were 11, 36, 61, 62 and 68. The Powerball number was 4.

Strong sales caused the jackpot to climb beyond estimates. The winner can choose to take a lump sum payment of $283.3 million.

The ticket was bought at a QuikTrip convenience store in Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix, John Gilliland of the Arizona Lottery said. The identity of the winner is not yet known.

“Many winners take a few days to get their affairs in order before claiming a prize this big,” Gilliland said. “Arizona allows winners of $100,000 or more to claim permanent anonymity, so we may never be able to announce the name of the winner.”

Arizona Lottery Executive Director Gregg Edgar said the single ticket Powerball jackpot was the biggest ever sold in the state.

“We are excited to celebrate this huge $473.1 million Powerball jackpot win for one very lucky Arizonan,” Edgar said. “It also means millions of dollars to our state’s economy, to this winner’s community, and to the vital programs and services funded by Arizona Lottery ticket sales.”

Powerball officials urged people to check their tickets. More than 1.4 million tickets won cash prizes in the Wednesday drawing, and a ticket in Indiana matched all five white balls to win $1 million.

This is the third time a Powerball jackpot has been won this year. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

source: nbcnews.com