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US Powerball lottery: Two tickets share $587m jackpot | |
(about 14 hours later) | |
Two tickets, bought in Arizona and Missouri, share a $587.5m (£366m) US Powerball lottery jackpot, the second-biggest US prize ever, organisers say. | |
Missouri lottery officials have verified that winning ticket and will hold a Friday morning news conference. | |
The Arizona winner has 180 days to claim the prize money. | |
The winners beat odds calculated at one in 175 million to match all six numbers. Tickets had been selling at a rate of 130,000 a minute nationwide. | |
Lottery officials said the winning tickets were sold at a Four Sons Food shop in Fountain Hills, Arizona, and at a convenience store about 35 miles (56km) north of Kansas City in Missouri. | |
It is not yet clear whether the tickets were bought by individuals or groups. | |
The jackpot had swelled after 16 consecutive rollover draws. | |
Statisticians estimated a player had more chance of becoming US president, dying from a bee sting or getting struck by lightning than hitting the jackpot. | |
The numbers drawn late on Wednesday were 5, 23, 16, 22, 29 and 6. | The numbers drawn late on Wednesday were 5, 23, 16, 22, 29 and 6. |
The prize fund had apparently been boosted by late purchases by those who rarely play the lottery. | The prize fund had apparently been boosted by late purchases by those who rarely play the lottery. |
Forty-two US states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands participate in the Powerball lottery. | Forty-two US states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands participate in the Powerball lottery. |
Officials doubled the price of Powerball lottery tickets in January to $2. | Officials doubled the price of Powerball lottery tickets in January to $2. |
Despite an initial drop in sales, revenue is reportedly about 35% higher than 2011 figures. | Despite an initial drop in sales, revenue is reportedly about 35% higher than 2011 figures. |