February 27, 2009

$120,000 in High Tier Prizes Given Away in 2 Days

Although the $55,917 winning Wild Money ticket still remains unclaimed, the Rhode Island Lottery paid out $120,000 in prizes yesterday and today with big winners coming in for Instant Games and PowerBall®.

Instant Games

The $50,000 top prize on the “Hot 50’s” Instant Game was claimed by a young man from North Providence.  The winner came in to the Lottery Validations office with his parents and hadn’t yet decided what to do with his winnings.  He talked of buying a motorcycle, and his mom pushed for him to pay off his student loans.  Colbea Enterprises on Killingly Street in Johnston sold the winning ticket. 

Later in the day, another young man from Providence claimed a $45,000 winning “Grand Casino” Instant Ticket.  He said he’d put the money right in the bank.  The winning ticket was purchased from East Greenwich Farms at 360 Main St., East Greenwich.

PowerBall®
 
A $10,000 winning PowerBall® ticket from the February 21 drawing was also claimed.  The Coventry man that picked up his winnings said he played with a group of 26 coworkers that have played together for about ten years.  Just recently, they had one member drop out, so he joked with Lottery staff that they’re hoping someone else will drop out so they can win again.  The winning ticket was sold from Coventry Xtra Mart at 81 Tiogue Ave., Coventry. 
 
Furthermore, a couple from Halifax, Mass., claimed a $10,000 PowerBall® prize from the February 11 drawing.  They bought the ticket from Elaine’s Country Store on Fish Road in Tiverton and plan to put the winnings in the bank. 
 
Both $10,000 tickets matched the first four numbers and the PowerBall® number, for the standard payout of $10,000.  Neither winner purchased the PowerPlay® feature for an additional dollar on the wager.  If they had, the $10,000 prize would have been multiplied by 2, 3, 4 or 5, whatever the PowerPlay® number was for that draw. 
 
The estimated jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is $173,000,000.