A North Carolina resident received unexpected news after checking his email and discovering he had won $2 million in the Powerball lottery. Daryl Steinhoff, who lives in Clayton, found out about his win after participating in the Sept. 1 drawing.
“I was ecstatic and in disbelief,” Steinhoff told the N.C. Education Lottery in a Sept. 4 news release. “I called my daughter and girlfriend.”
Steinhoff played Powerball online, choosing numbers inspired by his family for a $3 ticket. He matched all but one number in the drawing, and because he opted to spend an extra dollar on his ticket, his prize doubled to $2 million.
His ticket was just one number away from winning the estimated $1.2 billion jackpot that night. After taxes, Steinhoff kept $1.4 million and said he plans to use some of the money to buy a new home.
The next Powerball drawing is scheduled for Sept. 6 with an expected jackpot of $1.8 billion, according to the game’s website.
To win the Powerball jackpot, players must match all five white balls plus the red Powerball number. The odds of winning are 1 in 292,201,338.
Powerball tickets can be purchased on drawing days; however, sales times and prices differ by state. Drawings take place every Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday at 10:59 p.m. ET and are available to stream online.
The game is offered in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
