Ohio’s Powerball Luck: A Rare OccurrenceOhio’s Powerball Luck: A Rare Occurrence Ohio has only witnessed five jackpot-winning Powerball tickets in over 14 years of participation, with the most recent being sold at Walmart in Huber Heights on July 3. While the state ranks 32nd in terms of jackpot winners, Indiana holds the record with 39. The winning ticket matched all five numbers (2-26-33-55-57) and the Powerball number (22) on Wednesday night. The winner can choose between a $138 million annuity or a $65.8 million cash prize. Ohio’s previous lucky ticket was purchased in 2023, and before that, in 2014. Despite the rarity of wins, lottery enthusiasts continue to purchase tickets, hoping to strike it rich. As the jackpot climbs, so does the number of tickets sold. Josh Dziedzicki of the Tipp City RoadDog store observes a variety of players, including occasional buyers during high jackpot periods and regular players who stick to their numbers. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are astronomical, at one in 292 million. However, Ohio has had slightly better luck in Mega Millions drawings, with two jackpot winners since 2015. Lottery profits in Ohio contribute to an education fund that supports schools, with $1.4 billion being raised in the last budget year. If you happen to hold the winning ticket, be prepared for a hefty tax burden, with 28% withheld upfront and potential additional federal and local taxes.
HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio — In the more than 14 years that Ohio has participated in the Powerball lottery, only five jackpot-winning tickets have been sold in the Buckeye State, the last on Wednesday, July 3, at the Walmart in Huber Heights.
The state has won 1.2% of jackpots, ranking 32nd. Indiana leads the state with more Powerball winners than any other state, with 39 winners, followed by Missouri (31), Minnesota (22), Pennsylvania (19) and Wisconsin (19).
The Walmart Supercenter at 7680 Brandt Pike in Huber Heights has sold the winning Powerball auto-pick ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Powerball for Wednesday night’s drawing, the Ohio Lottery announced Thursday.
The winning numbers were 2-26-33-55-57 and the red Powerball number was 22. The Powerplay was 2X.
The winner has the option of receiving the $138 million jackpot in the form of an annuity or collecting the $65.8 million cash prize (after taxes).
Before Wednesday’s winning ticket was sold, Ohio’s last lucky ticket was sold on July 19, 2023. Before that, the last Ohio Powerball winner ($124.9 million in 2014) was purchased in Conneaut on the Pennsylvania border and the shores of Lake Erie — about as far away from Dayton as you can be and still be in Ohio.
But that hasn’t stopped the eager crowd from lining up to buy tickets and try their luck, as Monday night’s top prize has climbed to $29 million, while Saturday night saw no winner.
The winning numbers on Saturday night were 5, 32, 35, 39, 49 (21).
The largest jackpot was sold in California to a player who matched all the numbers, resulting in a jackpot of more than $2 billion. The cash option was worth $997 million. The winning ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center, 15 W Woodbury Road, Altadena.
As the jackpot sum increases, so does the number of tickets sold, says Josh Dziedzicki, area manager of the Tipp City RoadDog store.
“We see a number of different types of players; we get players who only get one or two tickets when the jackpot is high, and then we see people who have 10-year-old tickets and they play the same numbers every time,” Dziedzicki told the Dayton Daily News last year.
According to the Ohio Lottery Commission, the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot — which requires five numbers plus a Powerball number — are one in 292 million. By comparison, the odds of being struck by lightning are less than one in a million, estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ohio has had only slightly better luck in Mega Millions lottery drawings in recent years, with two jackpot winners since November 2015. One was a $143 million ticket sold in May 2018 at Fat Daddy’s Road Dog in Moraine. The winner took the cash option but claimed the jackpot through a passive trust fund to protect his identity.
Earlier, a group of 15 city workers from Piqua won the $207 million Mega Millions jackpot just before Christmas 2008.
If Thursday’s drawing was your lucky day, you should know that the Ohio Lottery Commission withholds 28% in upfront income tax (4% statewide and 24% federally). Chances are, you’ll owe millions more in April, since the federal income tax bracket for the highest earners is 37%, plus the possibility of local income taxes.
Lottery profits go to an education fund to support Ohio schools. State officials said the Ohio Lottery contributed $1.4 billion to the fund last budget year.
