A lucky player in Arizona has claimed the second winning ticket in the US Powerball lottery’s near-record jackpot of $587.5 million, organizers said Friday.
The unidentified person has chosen to take the payout in one $192 million lump-sum cash payment before taxes, said the Arizona Lottery, a week after a Missouri mechanic came forward with the first winning ticket.
“The Arizona Powerball jackpot winning ticket has been claimed,” lottery organizers said in a statement, announcing a press conference for 3:00 pm (2200 GMT), although the winner has chosen not to attend.
The ticket was sold at a store in Fountain Hills, northeast of Phoenix, local media reported.
The $587.5 million jackpot was the largest in Powerball history, with a cash option of $384.7 million before taxes, and the second biggest in US history, after a $656 million payout in the Mega Millions lottery last April.
Last week Missouri mechanic Mark and his unemployed wife Cindy Hill vowed to stay grounded and not let the massive windfall go to their heads after claiming their half of the prize.
Lottery fever in the lead-up to last week’s drawing was such that 160,000 tickets per minute were sold. Another 8.9 million players won smaller prizes totaling $131 million.
It was already known that the second winning ticket was bought in Arizona.
The odds of winning stood at one in 175.2 million — compared to the one in a million chance of being struck by lightning in a given year.
Lottery winnings in the United States are subject to taxation, with winners typically getting a choice between an annuity spread over many years or a reduced amount paid out in a lump sum.
Second US lottery winning ticket claimed in Arizona
