$336.4M Powerball Winner Is Newport, RI, Woman, 81

Published March 6, 2012 4:18PM (EST)

CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) — The winner of last month's $336.4 million Powerball jackpot is an 81-year-old woman.

Rhode Island lottery officials said Tuesday that Louise White of Newport had won the sixth largest jackpot in U.S. history. She says she is "very happy" and "very proud."

The winning ticket for the Feb. 11 drawing was sold at a Stop & Shop supermarket in Newport where White stopped to buy rainbow sherbet.

The lump sum payment would be $210 million.

The ticket price for Powerball increased from $1 to $2 in January. Rising sales nearly doubled the jackpot from $173.5 million on Feb. 1.

Powerball is played in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chance of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is about 1 in 175 million.


By Salon Staff

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