US
Lottery winner scoops $1bn jackpot – third-biggest prize in the Powerball’s history
A Powerball player has scooped a $1.08bn jackpot (£835bn) – with the life-changing amount the third-biggest prize in the lottery’s history.
The winning ticket for Wednesday night’s draw was sold in Los Angeles at Las Palmitas Mini Market, Powerball said.
It is the first time the Powerball jackpot has been won since April.
Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $1bn (£772bn) to $1.08bn (£835bn).
The ticket-holder – who will have to be named under California law – can choose either the total jackpot paid out in yearly increments or a $558.1m (£431m) one-time lump sum before taxes.
The ticket was sold from Las Palmitas Mini Market in Los Angeles. Pic: Google Street View
In the past, nearly all winners have opted for the cash lump sum.
The $1.08bn prize is the third biggest Powerball win in history – and the sixth biggest jackpot across all lotteries in the US.
Powerball’s largest jackpot – a whopping $2.04bn (£1.76bn) – was won in November last year, beating the previous highest total of $1.6bn (£1.3bn) in 2016.
The third, fourth and fifth biggest prizes, all around $1.5bn (£1.15bn), were won on another lottery, the Mega Millions.
By comparison, the largest UK lottery win was a £195m scoop on the EuroMillions jackpot in July last year.
Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Its abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to build big prizes that draws more players.