Powerball jackpot: Check your ticket, you might be R8 million richer

National lottery operator Ithuba on Friday confirmed this week’s Powerball Plus jackpot of R8 million had been won by a Tshwane resident who spent only R22.50 on the winning ticket.

However, the winner hasn’t stepped forward yet, and Ithuba has urged all players to check their tickets “as they may be our latest millionaire”.

Powerball jackpot bagged

R8 million unclaimed

According to Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza, the ticket was purchased at Brazil Cafe in Pretoria North, using the Quick Pick selection method.

Mabuza congratulated the winner and said the first step would be to validate the winning ticket and offer the winner free trauma counselling, as well as financial advisory services.

“The advisory services are to help our winners deal with the life-changing moments they experience and to assist our winners with their financial planning.”

Friday’s Powerball jackpot

The Powerball jackpot on Friday now stands at R25 million, while the Daily Lotto jackpot is estimated at R500,000. It might be unlucky Friday the 13th, but what if luck is on your side today?

Powerball entries cost R5 per board while Powerball Plus costs an additional R2.50 per board. Lotto entries cost R3 each and you can play a maximum of R150, but you are allowed to play multiple boards.

If you’re playing online, set up a lottery account here.

How to Play online

You can purchase your ticket online by creating an online lottery account and making a deposit to pay for tickets. Then choose your numbers on each board or opt for the Quick Pick method to receive random numbers.

Apart from purchasing tickets in-store, you can also play via South Africa’s major banks, including First National Bank (FNB), Standard Bank and Nedbank.

Simply log into your online bank account, select “Buy” or “Play Now” from the Lotto and Powerball menu. Then choose numbers manually or select Quick Pick before selecting “Buy” and “Confirm”.

What happens when you win the jackpot?

If you’ve won more than R50,000, you will need to contact the nearest Ithuba regional office. The Ithuba offices open at 8am and close at 4pm, from Monday to Friday.

Ithuba’s winner services team will validate the ticket and provide trauma counselling for the winners as well. The lottery operator explains that “becoming a millionaire overnight is an overwhelming experience”.

Winnings under R2,000 can be claimed from participating lottery retailers such as Shoprite Checkers, while winnings between R2,001 and R49,999 can be claimed from the South African Post Office

Should you be lucky enough to guess the five winning numbers, remember to wear a mask as the national lottery operator has adopted a no-mask-no-entry policy.

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