For three months, a Noble couple had a $1 million Powerball ticket sitting in plain sight on their cluttered kitchen table, treating it like just another stray piece of paper. It was only when the wife finally started cleaning that she spotted the ticket and decided to scan it that evening. The couple learned it matched five numbers and were stunned. They said the windfall will let them speed up their plans to buy land and build a home.
As reported by The Oklahoman, the Oklahoma Lottery announced on March 3 that a Powerball ticket sold in late November had finally been claimed. The winner, identified only as Robert of Noble, told the paper, "We were stunned," while Abby Morgan, director of marketing and product development for the Oklahoma Lottery, added, "You never know when a life-changing prize might be sitting right on your kitchen table."
Where the ticket was bought
The lucky slip was bought at the Harps supermarket at 18450 E. Highway 9 in Norman, according to The Oklahoman. The couple matched all five white balls in the drawing, a combination that qualifies as a $1 million Match 5 prize under Powerball rules, per the Oklahoma Lottery.
Quick takeaways
The Powerball jackpot reset to an estimated $20 million for the next drawing after a jackpot-winning ticket was sold in Arkansas on March 2, according to Powerball. The game's official site also notes that winners generally have 180 days from the drawing date to claim prizes, a tidy little reminder that giving those old tickets one more look can literally pay off.
