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Powerball player scores big prize — then doubles their winnings in Georgia

A Powerball ticket
A Georgia Lottery player won a life-changing prize playing Powerball despite missing the game’s jackpot, results show. USA TODAY NETWORK

A Georgia lottery player shelled out an extra dollar to play Powerball and wound up doubling their winnings.

The lucky player won $100,000 after matching four numbers and the red Powerball in the drawing Saturday, Jan. 4, narrowly missing the estimated $206 million jackpot, the Georgia Lottery said.

The Marietta resident normally would’ve won $50,000 but spent an extra $1 on the Power Play multiplier when they bought the winning ticket on the Georgia Lottery mobile app, officials said.

The winning numbers were 26, 32, 43, 54, 56 and red Powerball 24, according to the lottery game’s website. The Power Play option was 2x.

There were no $2 million or $1 million winners in Saturday’s drawing, and no one hit the jackpot, results show. The Powerball jackpot was last won on Dec. 7 when a single ticket sold in New York matched all six numbers to win a $256 million grand prize, according to Powerball.

The next Powerball drawing is Jan. 6 with an estimated $220 million jackpot.

Marietta is about a 20-mile drive northwest from downtown Atlanta.

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.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 9:55 AM.

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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