$1M Powerball Ticket Sold in Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, DC — The District has a new millionaire, according to D.C Lottery officials. A $1 million ticket in the Sept. 14 Powerball drawing was purchased at the Safeway in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The winning number was 10-11-23-28-31; and the Powerball number was 14. The lucky D.C. ticket holder matched the first five numbers.

There were three million-dollar tickets in Wednesday's drawing. One of the other tickets was sold at a Fairfax-area Giant grocery store.

Neither ticket has been claimed. Players have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prize.

No ticket matched the jackpot Wednesday. The next Powerball jackpot on Saturday will be worth $244 million.

The record Powerball jackpot in January was worth $1.6 billion. It was the largest lotto jackpot awarded in U.S. history and was split by three winners. Earlier this summer, a New Hampshire player won a $478 million prize.

Claiming, Safeguarding Winnings

So, what should you do if you win the big prize? Many lottery winners hire an attorney, financial planner or both, since most people don’t exactly know what to do when they suddenly come into so much money. Some even bring their lawyer with them to claim their prize. The lottery does not offer any counseling services or advice for winners.

You have two choices when you claim your prize: the full value paid in 30 installments over 29 years, or a one-time lump sum that is smaller than the actual total.

Then there are the taxes. The federal tax on lottery winnings is 25 percent. Then, any extra income taxes like state or city would apply.

Financial experts say that if you can get more than a 3 or 4 percent return on an investment, the lump sum is actually the best way to go in the long-term.

Includes reporting by Deb Belt. Patch file photo.