During a recent shopping trip to a Columbia-area Food Lion a Midlands man bought a Powerball ticket before leaving the grocery store, according to South Carolina Education Lottery officials.
Although his ticket was one number away from winning the game’s $154 grand prize in February, the man’s decision to get a Powerball ticket paid off with a $100,000 jackpot, officials said in a news release.
He purchased the six-figure winning Powerball game at the Food Lion supermarket at 1339 Dutch Fork Road in Irmo, according to the release. That’s near Lake Murray.
The winning numbers in the Feb. 12 drawing were 21, 32, 36, 45, 49 and Powerball: 18.
Because he purchased the Power Play option for an additional dollar, his initial $50,000 prize was doubled when the Power Play number was revealed to be 2, officials said.
The odds of matching four white ball numbers and the red Powerball number were 1-in-913,129, according to the release.
“It was a welcome surprise,” the man said in the release.
While several more shopping trips could be in his future, the winner said he’s still making plans for spending his newfound windfall, according to the release. But he’s already given some to charity, officials said.
The winner is allowed to retain some privacy, as South Carolina is one of 11 states — along with Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
For selling the claimed ticket, the Food Lion in Irmo received a commission of $1,000, according to the release.
The jackpot for Monday’s Powerball drawing is $139 million, according to the game’s website.
Anyone looking to buy a ticket must make a purchase by 9:59 p.m. Monday for the 10:59 p.m. drawing. Tickets are $2, and could cost more with additional options.
The odds of winning Powerball’s grand prize are 1-in-293 million.