$1.8bn Powerball shock: Rural Texas gas station stuns US after selling one of the largest tickets ever. Check winning numbers

It was surprise for workers at a tiny roadside gas station in rural Texas in the United States after learning they sold one of two winning tickets for the massive $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot over the weekend. After no grand prize winner since May 31, two lucky tickets, sold in Texas and Missouri, matched all six numbers in Saturday’s Powerball drawing and will split a massive $1.787 billion jackpot, according to Powerball officials.

The winning numbers were: 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, with a red Powerball of 17 and a Power Play multiplier of 2. The lucky ticket was sold at Bigs Gas Station off US Highway 290 in Fredericksburg, a rural city in the central part of the Lone Star State, 75 miles west of Austin, according to the Texas Lottery, reports New York Post.

The gas station’s manager, Melanie Carter, told CBS Austin she was floored when she learned the news of the winning on Sunday morning. “Nobody ever thinks, ‘Hey, my store’s going to win a jackpot,’ but here we are,” she said.


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“I’m like, ‘No way. You know, nobody believes it.’ So I get on my phone, and I look, and sure enough, it’s right there plain as day,” Carter told the station of the moment she received the news via text message.

Carter mentioned that business at the gas station has surged in recent weeks as the jackpot grew, attracting numerous eager ticket buyers. With so many customers coming in, she wasn’t sure who the lucky winner was or which employee had printed the winning ticket.

Where was the second ticket sold?

The second winning ticket was sold in Missouri. “Congratulations to our newest Powerball jackpot winners and the Missouri Lottery and Texas Lottery for selling the winning tickets,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and CEO of the Iowa Lottery. “Each $2 ticket sold during this Powerball jackpot run gave players a chance at the prize, while also supporting vital public programs and services in their communities — and that’s worth celebrating.”

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The new multi-millionaires will split the jackpot equally, each choosing between an annuitized prize of $895 million paid out over 29 years, or a one-time lump sum of $410.3 million — before taxes, Powerball officials said.

It is the 33rd time the Powerball jackpot has been won in Missouri, trailing Indiana’s 39 for most wins by a state. It is the third time Texas has sold the Powerball jackpot. Fifteen Powerball players won a million-dollar payout after matching all five white balls during the massive drawing.

The prize is taxable. An automatic 24% federal tax will be withheld upfront, and you’ll owe an additional 13% when you file your 2025 tax return.

State taxes may also apply, ranging from 2.9% to 10.9% depending on where you live. However, if you’re lucky enough to reside in California, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, or Wyoming, you won’t have to pay any state taxes on your winnings. Powerball is available in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The drawings take place at 10:59 p.m. ET at the Florida Lottery studio in Tallahassee.