Center City ticket wins huge Powerball jackpot

Philadelphia had its biggest lottery win ever Wednesday night, as a Powerball ticket bought at the Newsstand at the Gallery was the only one in the country to match all the numbers drawn.

They were 4, 25, 29, 34 and 43, with a Powerball of 29.

The jackpot was worth $172.7 million in 30 yearly payments, or $107.7 million cash.

Only one ticket in Pennsylvania history snagged a bigger payout.

The annuity jackpot was worth $213.2 million, when a Bucks County ticket bought by Steve and Kristine White had the combination to the vault in May 2004. They took the cash: $110 million, also a state record for a single ticket. The only bigger jackpots were split among multiple winners.

Since Whites were from Skillman, N.J., this could be the biggest win ever by a Pennsylvania resident. Pennsylvania started selling Mega Millions in early 2010, but has never sold that game's jackpot winner.

It's the 14th Powerball jackpot win by a Pennsylvania ticket since July 2003, according to Powerball's website, and the second in Eastern Pennsylvania in six months. In November, Steven Lloyd of Harding, Luzerne County, hit a $59.9 million jackpot in November, and opted for the $37.6 million cash.

A Powerball jackpot was last hit in the city in October 2008, when 22 workers from the Philadelphia Bulk Mail Center shared a jackpot worth $20 million as an annuity, but split the lump-sum payout of $10.3 million.

A second Pennsylvania ticket just missed the jackpot Wednesday night, landing $2 million for matching the first five numbers while having the Power Play prize-boosting option. It was purchased at a Giant Eagle, 105 Robertson St., in West Newton, Westmoreland County.

Louisiana also had a $2 million winner, while the District of Columbia, Wisconsin and Arizona each sold tickets worth $1 million for matching the first five without the Power Play.

Saturday's jackpot reboots to $40 million for the annuity, $24.9 million for the cash.

Now the biggest jackpot around is Mega Millions, with an $88 million annuity, or $64 million cash up for grabs Friday night.

No one hit all the numbers drawn Tuesday night: 3, 9, 15, 37 and 38, with a Mega Ball of 39. Texas and Virginia sold the only tickets that matched the first five, winning $250,000 without the Megaplier multiplier option, or $1 million with it.

The Newsstand at the Gallery will get $100,000 just for selling the winning Powerball ticket.

For more on lotteries, go to Philly.com's lotteries page, the Pennsylvania Lottery website, or the New Jersey Lottery website.

Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.