ROCK HILL, S.C. — A Rock Hill man scored a huge lottery prize this month and he has his family to thank for them, because it was their birthdays that led to his big win.
The man became the first South Carolinian to win the Palmetto Cash 5 jackpot with a $240,000 win on March 13. He bought the ticket at the Publix on Heckle Boulevard in Rock Hill.
"I didn't even know he was using those numbers," his wife said, recognizing the numbers on his lottery ticket.
The lucky numbers were 10, 17, 20, 28 and 30. The father said he'd been using those numbers for a while when playing the lottery.
The Palmetto Cash 5 is a new game from the South Carolina Education Lottery. Tickets are $2 with daily drawings. If there's no winner, that day's jackpot rolls over to the next drawing. The odds of winning a Palmetto Cash 5 jackpot are approximately 1 in 850,668, according to lottery officials.
Lottery jackpots are reaching near-historic highs as no one has claimed either the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot for some time. The Powerball jackpot increased to an estimated $865 million after no one won Monday night's drawing. The Powerball jackpot has gone unclaimed since New Year's Day.
Mega Millions, the other national U.S. lottery game, is even bigger, with an estimated jackpot of $1.1 billion. The next Mega Millions drawing will be on Tuesday, March 26.
Winning Powerball numbers for Monday, March 25, 2024
The winning numbers were 7-11-19-53-68 Powerball: 23 Power Play: 2.
If a winner matches all five numbers and the Powerball, they have the option to take the full jackpot paid out over 30 years, or a smaller cash payout. Winners almost always take the cash option.
Even with the smaller lump sum payout, federal taxes will eat into those winnings, and some states also tax big lottery prizes. Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Playing the lottery is a form of gambling. If you are concerned about your gambling or worried about a friend, you can call the NC Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-877-718-5543. You can also contact the National Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.