$447.8 Million Powerball Winner Still at Large
Monday June 19th 2017After more than a week of waiting, the winner of a $447.8 million Powerball jackpot is yet to reveal themselves to lottery officials. The successful player, who matched the numbers 20, 26, 32, 38, 58 and Powerball 3 in the drawing on Saturday June 10th, will be presented with the tenth biggest prize in U.S. lottery history, however, the clock has already started ticking on the lucky ticket’s claim period.
The winning entry, which ended a run of 19 consecutive rollovers, was purchased from the Marietta Liquor and Deli store in the Sun City area of Menifee, California ahead of the draw. The retailer caters for an aging population of around 4,700, with the region originally developed as a retirement village in the 1960s.
Many residents remain hopeful that the winner is local, including the president of the Sun City Civic Association's board, Armand Blais, who has his fingers crossed that the local community will benefit: "We're hoping they're a parishioner and they'll bring us a check," he told reporters shortly after the jackpot had been won.
Another resident praying that the winner is a local is the Mayor of Menifee, Neil Winter. He told the press: "There's a lot of good folks over there, so hopefully one of our folks won." However, until the winner of the seventh largest Powerball prize makes themselves known, speculation will continue to run riot amongst the townspeople.
Understandably, winning the lottery would come as a shock to anyone and could prove quite scary, especially if the victor is apprehensive about being presented to the media. Only players in Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina can opt for anonymity following a big lottery win, meaning the most recent jackpot winner must make their identity known, unless they are able to claim the money through a trust.
Following the win, Russ Lopez, a spokesman for California Lottery, emphasised that this is a huge prize, but was quick to reassure the mystery ticket holder that officials would be on hand to help them through the collection process, before adding: "Winning the lottery should never be a nightmare."
As the wait to find the Californian lottery winner continues, Powerball players have the opportunity to win a huge jackpot worth $64 million this Wednesday. If you would like to be in with a chance of claiming the prize, you can pick your numbers online or play through any authorised retailer in participating states and jurisdictions. Best of luck!
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