The Powerball lottery is one of the most popular multi-state lottery games in the United States, offering players the chance to win massive jackpot prizes that can grow into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Powerball is currently played in 45 states, including Pennsylvania, as well as Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
With Pennsylvania being one of the participating Powerball states, many PA residents have wondered if anyone from the Keystone State has ever won the elusive Powerball jackpot.
The Basics of Powerball in Pennsylvania
Powerball has been played in Pennsylvania since 2002, when the state joined the multi-state Powerball game operated by the Multi-State Lottery Association. To play Powerball in PA, players choose five main numbers between 1 and 69, and one Powerball number between 1 and 26. To win the jackpot prize, players must match all six numbers.
Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, and PA lottery players can purchase Powerball tickets for $2 per play, either at official PA Lottery retailers or using the PA Lottery’s official app. Taxes are taken out of winnings before prizes are awarded.
Over the years since joining Powerball, the Pennsylvania Lottery has awarded numerous prizes to PA players, ranging from $2 for matching just the Powerball, up to millions for matching some or all five main numbers. With the state being the sixth most populated in the U.S., PA sees significant Powerball ticket sales for each drawing.
Notable Powerball Wins in Pennsylvania
Since Powerball came to Pennsylvania in 2002, there have been several major jackpot wins in the state over the years:
- May 2004 – $101.7 million – Wilkes-Barre
- March 2007 – $164.4 million – Chester County
- June 2007 – $117.0 million – Philadelphia
- February 2009 – $173.6 million – Dauphin County
- November 2011 – $128.8 million – Chester County
- May 2013 – $131.5 million – Bucks County
As you can see, Pennsylvanians have hit some pretty sizable Powerball jackpots over the past two decades. The largest so far was $173.6 million claimed by a Dauphin County couple in 2009. Interestingly, Chester County holds the record for the most PA jackpot wins, with lucky players there capturing the top prize in 2007 and 2011.
The Biggest PA Powerball Winners
Here is some more detail on a few of the biggest Powerball jackpot winners from the Keystone State:
Dauphin County Couple – $173.6 million – February 2009
At the time, this was the 7th largest Powerball jackpot on record when it was hit on February 25, 2009. The lucky ticketholders were Larry and Nancy Fiorenzi of Harrisburg, who played a simple set of family birth dates. Their win set the record for the largest Pennsylvania lottery prize ever at the time.
Bucks County Man – $131.5 million – May 2013
James Wilson, a retiree from New Britain Township, became one of PA’s biggest Powerball winners with a $131.5 million jackpot on May 18, 2013. Wilson purchased his lucky quick pick ticket at a 7-Eleven in Souderton. His jackpot at the time ranked among the top 10 Powerball wins ever.
Chester County Meat Packer Workers – $164.4 million – March 2007
The members of this meat packing group dubbed themselves the “Power Pack” after scoring a $164.4 million jackpot on March 7, 2007. The winners all worked for Dietz & Watson meat company in Chester County. Their record win was the second largest Powerball prize in the game’s history at the time.
Pennsylvania’s Biggest Lotto Jackpot
While Pennsylvania has produced several noteworthy Powerball jackpot winners, the state’s current record lottery prize came from a different game.
On March 6, 2018, a truck driver from New Jersey purchased the winning Mega Millions ticket at a Lukoil gas station in South Philadelphia. That ticket wound up being worth a staggering $456.7 million cash jackpot, still the largest lottery prize ever won in Pennsylvania.
The South Philly retailer that sold the lucky slip received a $100,000 bonus commission for selling the record jackpot ticket.
Other Notable PA Lottery Wins
Beyond just Powerball, Pennsylvania players have hit several other sizeable lottery jackpots throughout the years:
- $110.2 million Cash 5 jackpot – 1992 in Allegheny County
- $149.4 million Mega Millions prize – 2020 in Allegheny County
- $213.7 million Mega Millions jackpot – 2004 in Lycoming County
- $325.8 million Powerball annuity – 2014 in Montgomery County
- $330.4 million Mega Millions annuity – 2007 in Montgomery County
As you can see from the list above, while Powerball has produced its share of PA winners, state lottery players have also won massive jackpots playing Mega Millions, Cash 5 and other lottery games over the years.
Conclusion
Since Pennsylvania joined Powerball in 2002, players have won at least seven jackpot prizes over the years, including two wins over $150 million. The biggest Powerball prize awarded to date in PA was $173.6 million, won by a Dauphin County couple back in 2009.
Overall, while no one has hit the record-breaking Powerball jackpots surpassing $1 billion in the state, Pennsylvania lottery players have still had tremendous luck with Powerball over the past two decades. And with lottery fever still running high in the state, it may only be a matter of time before the next Powerball jackpot winner comes from PA.
