Lottery News

Here's some big news for lottery players all over the world!

The California Lottery revealed the name of the much-awaited record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot at its news conference.

The winner of the world's largest lottery jackpot has stepped forward to ink his name in the book of history and claims the life-changing prize amount. As per the Lottery Director, Alvin Johnson, the name of the winner is Edwin Castro and he has refused to make any presence in the media or give interviews. If you've forgotten about him, then let us remind you that Castro was the only player who matched all six numbers in the historic drawing that took place on November 7, 2022, which were 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56, with Powerball number 10.

Johnson said, "We offer our sincere congratulations on this unbelievable and historic win, "Edwin, as you may assume, prefers to mostly maintain his privacy. He is aware that his name is on the record and that he is now a part of history, but he politely denied our request to join us in public today."

Although the huge Powerball Lottery winner was not present at the Conference, he did issue the following statement to the lottery:

"Even though I am startled and overjoyed to have won the Powerball lottery, the California public education system is the true winner "According to Castro's message. "This is a big victory for the state since the purpose of the California Lottery is to provide additional revenue for public education in California, including public schools and colleges. It's encouraging to learn that the California educational system gains significantly from my victory, too, as someone who benefited from receiving an education through the state's public system."

According to the California State Lottery rules the name of the winners are subject to public record, but in an effort to maintain privacy and transparency, that is the only information that is at the disposal of the public. Other aspects such as age, residency, and ethnicity are not revealed to anyone. 

The CA Lottery informed that Castro opted for the lump-sum option to claim his winnings, which comes out to be $997.6 million.

As no state taxes are levied on the California lottery winnings, the prize amounts are subject to federal taxes. As per the estimations by The Lottery Lab, Castro will get $628.5 million after federal tax deductions. The California Lottery raised $156.3 million for public education in only one jackpot run, setting a new record for a jackpot run. A jackpot run is the number of rollovers that occur between when a jackpot is reset and won.

The $2 billion Powerball jackpot's sales helped the Lottery raise $2 billion for the first time ever, which is likely to increase the total amount raised in a fiscal year.

At Joe's Service Center on West Woodbury Road in Altadena, Castro purchased his winning ticket. In order to win the jackpot in November, his ticket had to match all five white ball numbers as well as the Powerball.

For selling the $2 billion lottery win, the retailer received a $1 million commission.

Owner of Joe's Service Center in Altadena, Joseph Chahayed, said when he earned his bonus, "I would like to thank all the community [who] support me. "And I'd advise you to purchase a ticket from this station. You're also going to succeed."

The retailer stated that he intended to divide the commission amount among his children and 11 grandchildren.

On Wednesday, February 15 at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, the next Powerball drawing will take place. At this time, the jackpot is worth $57 million.

Along with 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Powerball is currently available for purchase. At 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, drawings take place. Each ticket is $2.

If you also want to turn your dream of becoming the Powerball lottery millionaire into a reality, explore the Powerball game detail page at The Lottery Lab, along with the tools offered with it to help you pick the winning numbers, and improve your odds of filling the pockets with lottery money!