Seven Powerball tickets nationwide came within one correct number of capturing the still-elusive grand prize during Saturday's drawing, with three of them sold in Minnesota and good for a nothing-to-sneeze-at $50,000.
Such a concentration in Minnesota of good fortune for a $2 investment doesn't happen very often in the twice-weekly game of chance, state lottery officials said Monday. This is just the fourth time all year that Minnesota has had even more than one $50,000 winner in any single Powerball drawing. The odds of a Powerball ticket hitting that payout is 1 in 913,000.
Two of the tickets worth $50,000 were sold in the Twin Cities area, one at the Shakopee Dakota Convenience Store across from Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, and the other at Youngstedts Minnoco gas station, 5925 Excelsior Blvd. in St. Louis Park. The third was sold at a Holiday gas station in Emily, about 30 miles north of Brainerd.
State lottery officials said the yet-to-be-taxed prizes remained unclaimed, and the ticket holders have one year from the date of the drawing to do so.
The four $50,000 winners outside of Minnesota bought their tickets in California, Florida, Georgia and New York.
Saturday's drawing yielded numbers 14-22-26-55-63 and a Powerball of 26. The $50,000 winners got all but one of the first five numbers correct as well as the Powerball.
With Saturday's grand prize eluding players once again, the total rolls over from $70 million to an estimated $80 million for Wednesday's drawing.
Powerball is offered in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Players select five numbers from 1 to 69 and a Powerball number from 1 to 26.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
