Powerball player tries luck with online ticket — and wins life-changing Virginia prize
A Virginia woman was one number shy of winning a Powerball jackpot but still walked away with a huge prize.
Elizabeth Abiles, of Vienna, won $1 million after matching five numbers in the Sept. 16 drawing, just missing the estimated $163 million jackpot, the Virginia Lottery said in a Nov. 4 news release.
Abiles purchased the winning ticket online, officials said.
The winning numbers drawn Sept. 16 were 8, 9, 11, 27, 31 and red Powerball 17, according to the lottery game’s website. The Power Play multiplier option was 5x.
There was a $2 million winner in Texas, and someone in Arkansas also took home a $1 million prize, results show.
Abiles didn’t say how she plans to spend her winnings.
Vienna is about a 20-mile drive west from Washington, D.C.
What to know about Powerball
To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Powerball player tries luck with online ticket — and wins life-changing Virginia prize."