Though a common perception is that lotteries are not what they once were, this is a false notion. The prizes today are more substantial than ever. Some, like this one in particular, are even delivered to you in cash, counted with precision using their used automatic bill counters. Furthermore, companies organizing draws are opening their doors to players from other countries. It’s a digital world we live in, and nowadays, anyone from anywhere can test their luck.
Ushakiran Patel, a sixty-two-year-old retiree, recently joined the club of international lottery winners from India, winning a US Powerball prize. She did so by matching five numbers on her Powerball ticket, enough for a reward of one million dollars. What makes this story staggering is that it represents a case of “the luck of the draw” since Mrs. Patel is an infrequent player who picked her numbers at random.
According to a statement, the winner stated that she was unsure as to what she would do with her prize but believed that it would serve to add security to her retirement. When all was said and done, the one-million-dollar reward dwindled to $633,040. Still, it is a nice chunk of change and a good return on an investment of INR 300.
Major Lotteries Besides the Powerball That You Can Play
The Powerball is a brand that most lottery players recognize. The Multi-State Lottery Association coordinates the draw, and the minimum annual advertised jackpot is $20 million. Since now you know that you can purchase tickets for the US Powerball online, here are other massive draws that you can take part in from India.
Mega Millions is the second most famous American jackpot game and the only one with Match 5 prizes up to $5 million. Formerly known as The Big Game, it is responsible for paying out a record-prize of $1.5 billion in 2019. The anonymous winner took home $877,784,124 in a single payment, which made the payout the largest in US history. You can buy a Mega Millions ticket from home and play for a jackpot reward of more than $350 million.
Other premium games you can purchase tickets for online are El Gordo, EuroMillions, Mega Sena, and others. El Gordo is Spain’s most popular weekly draw, which has a guaranteed jackpot of €5 million. EuroMillions is Europe’s largest lottery and features a jackpot prize of €130 million. Mega Sena is a popular South American draw, Brazil’s state lotto. For a ticket priced around $2.5, you get a chance to win $47 million in the regular and $92 million in the annual super draw.
Who Are the Biggest Lottery Winners From India?
While Mrs. Patel’s story is inspiring and her winning amount life-changing, it pales in comparison to sums won by other Indians. Nandlall Mangal, a construction worker from New York’s famous borough, Staten Island, won a $245.6 million Powerball jackpot in 2018. During an interview, he admitted that he’s an avid lottery enthusiast but only purchases tickets when there is more than $100 million on the line. When buying his $6 slip, Mangal let the software choose his numbers via the Quick-Pick option. Upon returning home, he left his ticket on his kitchen counter and left town. A week later, he decided to check the winning numbers online and realized that he was the winner. Mangal opted to get his prize in a single payment of almost one hundred million dollars.
Sandeep Singh, a Best Buy employee, saw his life do a 180 degree turn when he became the lucky winner of the Mega Millions jackpot in 2012. Only 22-years-old at the time. Singh thought he was down on his luck when his girlfriend left him, and he seemingly had low job prospects. A $4 lotto ticked changed all that and led to a $23 million prize after the necessary deductions. It is a true story of how in life you never know. You only need one stroke of good fortune to become a millionaire.