ALBUQUERQUE – Mr. H. Ben of Shiprock claimed a winning $1 Million Powerball® ticket today, January 19, 2021. He learned he was a big winner last night after he saw a TV news report that announced a winning ticket was sold in New Mexico.
Mr. Ben has felt for a while that he was going to win. Although he typically plays his own selection of numbers, he sometimes mixes it up with a Quick Pick. His lucky feeling and his Quick Pick ticket paid off. He purchased his ticket at Smith’s #409 at 600 E 20th Street in Farmington for the January 16, 2021 draw.
Mr. Ben’s ticket matched the white ball numbers: 14, 20, 39, 65 and 67. He called his son first to tell him the news, put the ticket in a safe place and wasn’t able to fall asleep until 2 AM due to the excitement. This morning he woke up and thought, “I’ve got to take this to the Lottery to make sure it’s real.” Mr. Ben plans to invest his winnings in his farm.
When asked if he would play again he said, “Why Not?” Mr. Ben said he encourages other players and shared, “You just never know.”
Please, Play Responsibly and Safely
No one won the January 16, 2021 Powerball jackpot. The estimated Powerball jackpot for Wednesday, January 20, 2021 is $730 Million. The Mega Millions estimated jackpot for tonight, January 19, 2021 is $865 Million. At almost $1.6 BILLION, this is the highest combined jackpot total for Mega Millions and Powerball, surpassing the all-time record of $1.537 Billion set in October 2018. This is the first time that both games have simultaneously had advertised jackpots larger than $700 Million.
While this is very exciting for players, the New Mexico Lottery reminds everyone to please play responsibly. Players should remember to only purchase what they can afford. Also, please remember to play safe. We are still in a pandemic and playing responsibly also means playing safely by following COVID-safe practices. Some suggestions include using play slips and your own pen. Players can also ask for a Quick Pick, check their tickets online or at a self-service lottery terminal, try multi-draw and redeem prizes by mail.
New Mexico Lottery players have until 8:45 p.m. MT tonight to buy tickets for the next Mega Millions jackpot and 8:00 p.m. MT Wednesday night to buy tickets for the January 20, 2021 Powerball jackpot. Tickets are $2 per wager.
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
All profits from the sale of New Mexico Lottery games fund an in-state college tuition assistance program. Since 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $876 million for education and more than 134,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships.
More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.