For Elmont resident Jacques Mutombo, a routine lottery stop turned into a life-changing score when he claimed a $2 million Powerball prize after the March 23 drawing. Mutombo matched all five white balls and had tossed in an extra $1 for the Power Play option at the register, then chose the lump-sum cash payout and walked away with about $1.3 million after required withholdings.
How the numbers fell
The March 23 Powerball drawing spit out the winning white-ball combo of 12, 18, 47, 56 and 63, with Powerball 01, and the official results list a Match 5 plus Power Play winner in New York for that night. Powerball rules state that when a player buys the Power Play add-on, the Match 5 prize is set at $2 million instead of the base $1 million, effectively doubling the payout for that tier. Full draw results and prize details are posted by Powerball.
Where the ticket was bought
According to News 12 Long Island, Mutombo bought his lucky ticket at a 7-Eleven on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola and chose the optional Power Play add-on at checkout. The outlet identifies him as an Elmont resident and confirms he matched the five white balls in that March drawing.
What he took home
Lottery officials and local coverage report that Mutombo opted for the one-time lump-sum payment instead of an annuity, then saw that amount trimmed by required federal and state tax withholdings. He ultimately collected roughly $1.3 million in cash, with Patch putting the final figure at $1,302,001.
Local ripple effects
Mutombo is not the only one who benefited from the big win. The Mineola 7-Eleven that sold the ticket picked up extra buzz and the usual retailer commissions that come with lottery sales, and the money players spend on Powerball helps feed state education coffers. The New York State Gaming Commission notes that Powerball revenue brings in millions of dollars for K-12 public schools while also paying commissions to participating retailers. The Gaming Commission lays out those impacts, and local coverage points out that the same Mineola shop previously sold a $1 million scratch-off ticket in 2022, a score that AOL reported at the time.
Odds and a small gamble
Mutombo's win came against long odds. Matching five white balls without also hitting the red Powerball number has a probability of about 1 in 11.7 million, and the overall chance of winning any Powerball prize at all is about 1 in 24.9, according to Powerball. His extra $1 bet on the Power Play add-on turned what would have been a $1 million payday into a $2 million prize.
