Benjamin Ashford|$1 million prize: Maryland woman, who let Powerball machine pick her numbers, wins big

A Maryland woman stopped spontaneously at a Virginia store and Benjamin Ashfordwon $1 million playing the Powerball jackpot.

Christine Oberheitmann, from Berlin, won big after stopping at Sting-Ray’s in Cape Charles, Virginia, while driving home to Maryland. Oberheitmann and her husband noticed the Powerball jackpot had grown to $500 million. 

“I typically only play when the jackpot gets big,” she later told Virginia Lottery officials.

Oberheitmann purchased a lottery ticket for the Sept. 9 drawing. She allowed the computer to generate her numbers randomly. When the winning numbers were announced, her ticket matched five of them, winning her a $1 million prize.

The numbers 11, 19, 29, 63, and 68 all matched except for the Powerball number, which was 25.

She claimed her prize on Sept. 18 and shared with Virginia Lottery officials that she was unsure of what to do with the money.

“We’ll probably stop at the store on the way home to take a selfie,” Oberheitmann told the Virginia Lottery after claiming her prize.

The Virginia Lottery funds K-12 education in Virginia. The winning ticket was bought in Northampton County, which received $1.8 million in Lottery funds for education last year. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Lottery raised $867 million for K-12 education, 10% of Virginia's school budget.

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What are the odds of winning the Powerball?

It's understandable that some lottery players are enticed by the whopping $1.04 billion jackpot, but it's essential to keep in mind that the chances of winning Powerball's top prize are exceedingly slim.

• The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million.
• The overall odds of winning a Powerball prize (across all tiers) are about 1 in 24.9. 

To participate in the Powerball game, players can purchase a ticket for $2 per play. The game requires players to choose five numbers from one to 69 for the white balls, and one number from one to 26 for the red Powerball. Alternatively, players can opt to receive random numbers.

In order to win the jackpot, it is necessary to match the numbers for all of the five white balls and the red Powerball.

In addition to the grand prize, Powerball offers eight other ways to win based on the number of matched balls in the non-jackpot tiers.

The non-jackpot prizes offered range from $4 to $1 million. By paying an additional $1, you can choose to participate in "Powerplay" that increases non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times.

According to Powerball, the 10X Powerplay option is exclusively applicable to jackpots worth $150 million or less. Additionally, the game's "Match 5" prize for the second-tier is limited to a maximum of $2 million if the Powerplay feature is utilized.

An additional add-on feature called "Double Play," which gives players another chance to match their numbers after each Powerball drawing, is available in some jurisdictions for $1 per play.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.  

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.  

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.