Vermont made lottery history Wednesday when it sold its first winning Powerball Jackpot ticket worth $366.7 million.
The single ticket was sold at Middlebury Short Stop in Middlebury, the state Department of Liquor and Lottery said.
"It's really exciting because it's the first one ever sold in the state of Vermont. So, it's really cool," said manager Deb Alger in a phone call Thursday.
Alger said she worked up until 6 p.m. Wednesday but does not know if she was the one who sold the winning ticket. The identity of the ticket holder has not been revealed.
The winning numbers in the Wednesday drawing were white balls 8, 40, 49, 58, and 63. The Powerball number was 14. The winner will have the choice to take home an estimated annuity of $366.7 million which will be paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment of $208.5 million. Both options are before taxes are taken out.
Alger said the store is a popular stop for lottery players, and she hopes one of their regular customers is the lucky winner because "that would be simply amazing."
"I’m just happy that for somebody ... it’s going to make for a huge change in their life," she said.
In addition to the big-ticket win, over 609,000 tickets won cash prizes in Wednesday's Powerball, according to a news release. One of those tickets, sold in Illinois, matched all five white balls for a $1 million prize.
The Powerball costs only $2 to play. Three other jackpots have been sold this year including two tickets in California and Wisconsin that split a $632.6 million prize in January, a ticket in Connecticut that won a $185.3 million prize in February, and a ticket in Arizona that won a $473.1 million prize in April.
