ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — No one took home the billion-dollar Powerball jackpot on Halloween, but two Floridians did get a special treat.
Three players from Florida, New York and Oklahoma won the Match 5+ Power Play for a $2 million prize. Another Florida player was among seven others who matched 5 numbers to win $1 million.
The Florida Lottery confirms one ticket was bought at the Winn-Dixie store on Big Bend Road in Riverview and the second was purchased at a liquor store in Pensacola.
Still, no one has hit all six winning numbers, bumping the jackpot up to $1.2 billion — the second-largest in Powerball history and the fourth-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.
The lump sum cash option for the jackpot, which is usually what winners select, stands at $596.7 million.
The next drawing is set for 10:59 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, so you still have time to get your ticket.
The chances of winning the Powerball are slim — 1 in 292.2 million, to be exact. But there are some lucky stores in Florida that have sold multiple winning tickets over the years.
Some of the luckiest spots in the Tampa Bay area are:
- Winn Dixie on Commercial Way in Spring Hill (5 winners)
- St. Thomas Food Mart on 49th Street North in St. Pete (5 winners)
- Publix on Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills (5 winners)
- Publix on S Belcher Road in Clearwater (5 winners)
- Publix on Collier Parkway in Land O' Lakes (5 winners)
Over the past few years, huge lottery jackpots have become more common as lottery officials have changed the rules and ticket prices to boost top prizes. Once a winning ticket matches the drawing, the Powerball jackpot starts over again at $20 million and continues to grow each drawing until it is won.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.