Florida Ticket Wins $235.4 Million Powerball Jackpot
Sunday March 28th 2021Life just got sunnier for one lucky Florida ticket-holder who hit the $235.4 million Powerball top prize on Saturday night. It's the 15th time the game's jackpot has been won in the state.
The ticket was purchased at the Publix supermarket located on North Nebraska Avenue in Lutz, north of Tampa. It matched all six winning numbers in the Saturday, March 27 drawing - white balls 6, 14, 38, 39, 65 and the red Powerball 6. The Powerplay multiplier option for non-jackpot prizes was 3X.
The top prize was estimated to be worth $238 million before the drawing, but slow ticket sales reduced its final value.
There were no Match 5 or Match 5 with Powerplay winners in last night's draw.
The Powerball jackpot has been rolling since it was last won on January 30 by a ticket sold at a Quick Chek in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey. That $33.2 million jackpot has not been claimed yet; the winner has one year to come forward.
Starting August 23, Powerball players will have an extra chance to win every week as the game adds a Monday draw to its current Wednesday and Saturday lineup. Making it an extra-sizzling lottery summer, Lucky for Life will offer a daily draw from July.
Cash or Annuity?
Under Florida Lottery rules, the lucky winner has 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize. However, to receive a cash option payment, they must claim within 60 days. If they wait longer than 180 days, the prize expires and will not be paid.
Last night's winner will have the enviable task of choosing whether to receive their payout as an annuity of 30 annual payments or single cash lump sum, estimated at $159.8 million for last night's win, paid right away.
The cash option is smaller because it reflects the money from ticket sales currently in the prize pot. The annuity receives the full advertised jackpot value, based on the winnings being invested for years.
How to Claim
The Florida Lottery currently offers three ways to claim a prize:
- In person: Make an appointment to claim at a Lottery office from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM EST
- By drop box: Put the signed ticket, claim form, and required documentation in an envelope and submit it via the secure drop box located in every FL Lottery office. Processing time is about 10 to 14 days
- By mail: Claims may be sent to the nearest FL Lottery office and will be processed in around 30 to 45 days. The envelope must be postmarked on or before the claim deadline
Federal taxes of 24 percent will be withheld prior to payment if the winner is a US citizen or resident alien.
Can Lottery Winners Stay Anonymous in Florida?
No - under state law, the Lottery must provide the winner's name, city, and details of their win to anyone who requests the information, although a winner's home address and telephone numbers are kept private.
Past Florida Powerball Winners
Floridians love to play the lottery - the state is one of the top-selling Powerball jurisdictions - and the lottery loves them right back, delivering life-changing prizes to residents.
The last Powerball jackpot winner in Florida was William Kruger of Lantana, who hit a $168.5 million top prize on August 12, 2020. He purchased the Quick Pick ticket at a Publix in Boynton Beach. Kruger claimed his win via secure drop box less than a month after the draw, choosing to receive the cash lump sum of $140,145,006.00.
It was the second time in 2020 that a Florida ticket hit the game's top prize. On January 29, 61-year-old accountant Sheryll Goedert of Ocala scored a $396.9 million Powerball win. It was another hit for a Quick Pick ticket - Goedert picked hers up at 7-Eleven in Bonita Springs. She selected the cash option and received $276,558,034.09 before taxes.
Top Florida Powerball winners include:
- $590.5 million - Gloria Mackenzie of Zephyrhills won this life-changing jackpot in 2013. At the time, it was the largest US prize ever hit by a single ticket
- $1.5 billion - David Kaltschmidt and Maureen Smith of Melbourne Beach scored one-third of the biggest jackpot in lottery history in 2016. They split the $983.5 million cash option with two other tickets
Current Powerball and Mega Millions Jackpots
The Powerball jackpot has now reset to its current $20 million starting level for the next draw on Wednesday, with a cash option of $13.6 million.
Meanwhile, the Mega Millions jackpot stands at $152 million for its next draw on Tuesday, with a cash option of $102.2 million.
Tickets for both draws are available now.
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