Show-Me State Times

A Missouri Lottery player discovered a $50,000 Powerball prize nearly two months after the April 19 drawing. The winning ticket was purchased at Mike's Cut Rate Liquors in Kansas City and was forgotten in the player's bag.

The winner, who plays only occasionally, explained, “I only play a couple times a year, and I actually didn’t check the ticket for like two months.” Upon finally checking it at a Missouri Lottery retailer, he encountered an unfamiliar message on the screen. “It said something that I’d never seen before, so I took it up to the counter and had them check it,” he recounted.

The clerk confirmed the $50,000 win by scanning the ticket. “He just handed it to me and said, ‘Congratulations,’ and I left so quickly,” recalled the player. Coincidentally, he had already planned a family vacation for the day after discovering his win. “I won and then the day after that went on vacation, so it was really nice!” he added.

The winning numbers from April 19 were 7, 25, 37, 39, and 63 with a Powerball number of 1. The player matched four white-ball numbers along with the Powerball number drawn and claimed his prize on June 5 at the Missouri Lottery’s regional office in Kansas City.

Powerball is a multi-state draw game with drawings held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 9:59 p.m., with this Wednesday's jackpot estimated at $101 million.

In fiscal year 2024 (FY24), Jackson County players won over $109.8 million in Missouri Lottery prizes. Retailers received more than $9.8 million in commissions and bonuses while over $22 million from lottery proceeds supported education programs in the county.