Two Twin Cities lottery players woke up a whole lot richer after the weekend, thanks to one lucky gas station and one very fortunate grocery store.
A North 5 ticket worth $117,700 was sold at a Holiday Stationstore in Ramsey, and a Powerball ticket with the Power Play that paid $100,000 was sold at a Cub Foods in Brooklyn Park. Both payouts are above Minnesota’s $50,000 in-person claim threshold, so the winners will have to show up at the state lottery office to get their checks. The timing could not be better for the game, with Powerball's national jackpot climbing into the hundreds of millions and keeping ticket sales brisk around the region.
In a statement to WJON, the Minnesota State Lottery said the North 5 prize came in Friday’s drawing and was worth $117,700, and that the Powerball ticket with the Power Play add-on was sold Saturday at the Cub Foods on West Broadway in Brooklyn Park. The lottery did not release the winners’ names. The agency treats the names and cities of prize winners of more than $10,000 as private data unless winners choose publicity, according to the Minnesota Lottery.
Jackpots And What They Mean For Players
Monday’s Powerball drawing carried an estimated jackpot of $312 million, according to Powerball, while the North 5 pool was in the low $20,000s heading into the draw, according to LotteryUSA. The contrast shows how a smaller state game can still deliver a serious local payday even as the huge national jackpots grab most of the headlines.
How Winners Claim Their Prizes
Because both reported prizes exceed $50,000, the winners must claim in person at Minnesota Lottery headquarters in Roseville, and the agency advises calling ahead to make an appointment, according to the claim guidance from the Minnesota Lottery. The lottery also reminds winners that they have one year from the drawing date to submit a claim.
If you bought tickets over the weekend, this is the time to pull them out, sign the back, check the numbers with your retailer or the lottery’s online number checker, and stash that slip somewhere safe until you claim. The Holiday Stationstore in Ramsey and the Cub in Brooklyn Park are likely enjoying a little extra buzz, and plenty of neighbors are no doubt double-checking their pockets and kitchen junk drawers just in case.
