Powerball Player Wins $1 Million Twice During Same Drawing
Posted on: July 18, 2025, 09:01h.
Last updated on: July 18, 2025, 09:01h.
- A Powerball player says he accidentally played the same drawing twice
- The misfortune turned into fortune when both tickets hit for $1 million
- A woman in Massachusetts redeemed a $100,000 win in the nick of time
A Powerball player in Massachusetts had a bit of extra luck in doubling his prize from $1 million to $2 million.
Paul Corcoran, of Fitchburg, told Powerball officials that he mistakenly purchased two plays for the Wednesday, July 9, Powerball drawing. He said he had earlier purchased a ticket for seven consecutive Powerball drawings, all with the same numbers.
Corcoran explained that he had thought the seven pays expired with the Monday, July 7, draw. The Massachusetts resident said he purchased another ticket, again with the same numbers, at a local supermarket for the July 9 draw.
When the five white balls came up on his numbers — 5, 9, 25, 28, 69 — he thought he had won the game’s second-richest prize of $1 million. However, his luck was only beginning, as he later realized that a ticket from his seven-play purchase included July 9.
Corcoran has already redeemed his $2 million prize, which will be reduced by a 37% federal tax and 9% state tax to around $1,080,000. He has not yet decided what he’ll do with the little more than $1 million.
Six other tickets also matched the five white balls, and one had the optional $1 add-on Power Play to double their prize to $2 million after the Power Play landed on 2x.
The next Powerball drawing is tomorrow, Saturday, July 19, with the jackpot estimated at $288 million (cash at $130.6 million).
Snooze Button Credited
In other lottery news, a man in Ohio says he accidentally slept through his alarm. Since he had missed work, he chose to stop by a Class 2 Drive Thru at 1025 E. Lincoln Way in Minerva to grab an energy drink.
In line, he opted to purchase a $30 scratch-off. He won $500 on the scratcher. He decided to run through the drive-thru again to purchase a couple more. On another ticket, he won the game’s second-tier prize of $50,000.
I reversed my truck in the drive-thru and asked the clerk to check my ticket. I told him, ‘I think you just changed my life,'” said the winner, who decided to remain anonymous, as permitted by the Ohio Lottery.
The man, a lifelong lottery player, said he previously won $20,000 on a scratcher. He purchased a new truck with that money.
After federal and state taxes, the Ohio Lottery said the man received about $36,000. The man was playing Monopoly 200X. According to the lottery’s website, the game’s top prize of $200,000 a year for 25 years remains in circulation. There are three winning $200K/year tickets outstanding.
Redeemed in Nick of Time
Back in Massachusetts, a woman says her son tipped her off to a news story about an unclaimed ticket set to expire worth $100,000.
My son saw it on the news and said, ‘Ma, you got a ticket in that drawer,’ and we looked at the numbers and they were right,” said the winner, Margo Garstka, of Chicopee.
She said she received the Quic Pic ticket for free as part of the Massachusetts State Lottery’s Fishin’ for Quic Pics promotion. She stashed it in a drawer next to a couple of screwdrivers.
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