Alabama man went to NC for a job. He returned home with life-changing Powerball prize

The mystery lottery player who missed the $55 million Powerball jackpot by one number has come forward in North Carolina, and it turns out to be an Alabama man who was in the state for a job, according to the N.C. Education Lottery.

Christopher Baker of Leesburg, Alabama, picked up his $100,000 consolation prize Wednesday, July 17, officials said in a news release.

Odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million, so Baker appeared to be happy with what he got.

“It was definitely a shocker,” Baker said in the release. “I just kept looking at it to make sure I was reading it right. I told my family but they didn’t believe me either.”

He matched numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball in the July 13 drawing to win $50,000 and it doubled due to being a Power Play multiplier ticket, officials said. (The winning numbers were 9, 55, 59, 66, 69 and Powerball 21.)

The cash came to $71,501 after required state and federal tax withholdings, officials said.

Baker plans to use it to help buy a house.

His $3 Quick Pick ticket was purchased at the Jack B Quick store in Hickory, which is about a 350-mile drive northeast from his home in Leesburg.

No players got all five numbers and the Powerball, so a $2 million ticket bought in Illinois won the largest prize for the July 13 drawing, McClatchy News reported.

The Powerball jackpot was at $91 million as of July 18, with a cash value of $43.7 million, for the July 20 drawing, according to Powerball.com.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT POWERBALL

To score the jackpot in the Powerball , a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.

Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online .

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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