Powerball officials in Maryland are urging players to check their tickets, as a $100,000 prize from the March 19 drawing remains unclaimed.
The winning ticket was purchased at a Walmart in Fruitland, about 120 miles from Baltimore. The player matched four white balls and the Powerball number, typically worth $50,000. However, they added the Power Play option for an extra dollar, which doubled the prize to $100,000.
Maryland Lottery officials, speaking to local ABC affiliate WMDT-TV, are encouraging anyone who bought a ticket at the Fruitland Walmart to verify their numbers.
Because the prize exceeds $25,000, the winner must claim it in person at the Maryland Lottery’s customer resource center in Baltimore. Prizes of $600 or less can be claimed at any authorized retailer, while winnings between $5,000 and $25,000 can be collected at six participating casinos across the state.
In Maryland, players have 182 days from the draw date to claim their prizes. Other states with six-month claim periods include Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Texas, and Wyoming.
The March 19 Powerball drawing also produced two $2 million winners, one each in Colorado and Texas. The jackpot for that drawing was $418 million, with a cash value of $195 million, but no one matched all six numbers.
Subsequent draws on March 22 and March 24 also failed to produce a jackpot winner. However, players in Florida and New Jersey each won $1 million after missing the jackpot by just one number.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are about one in 292.2 million, slightly better than the Mega Millions odds of one in 302.6 million.
Lottery officials expect changes to boost player odds and prize values starting April 5. Mega Millions will introduce larger jackpots, automatic multipliers, and the elimination of breakeven prizes. However, the ticket price will increase from $2 to $5.
