Missouri Powerball Group of 166 Co-Workers Wins $1 Million Prize

The colleagues had been going in search of an advertised jackpot of €300 million and only just missed out as they matched all five main numbers but not the Powerball. Peggy Lunsford, who started the syndicate, was still delighted to discover on Christmas morning that one of the group’s tickets was worth a seven-figure sum.

Hidden Under A Mattress

Lunsford put the group’s name on the back of the lucky ticket and stuck it under her mattress, before waiting until the following Tuesday to tell everyone at work. Michelle Kemp, the company’s payroll supervisor, added: “Each department has a lead that gets together and gets their people’s money together. And then I helped [Lunsford] at the end with making sure the claim forms were filled out correctly, everybody’s driver’s license was filled out correctly. Then we did take the ticket up to Jefferson City for everybody.”

Brent Williams, the company’s vice-president, said: “It was pretty exciting the day that it got announced at work, it kind of, department-by-department, had been informed that they had won. You could kind of hear the eruptions of celebration go around the plant.”

Group Benefits

Everyone in the group will receive approximately $6,024 before taxes, which is a huge return on a $2 ticket. The advantage of playing in a group is also that you can boost your chances of winning big prizes without splashing out more money yourself, as everyone in the pool can share the cost of buying multiple tickets. If you have a group the size of the one from Missouri, the odds of landing a prize are significantly enhanced.

Another perk of playing in a group is that everyone can enjoy the moment together, creating a happy atmosphere amongst work colleagues, neighbours or friends. It is not just lottery winners who enjoy big prizes either, as Lunsford explained how much the group’s success had meant to the employees of Jake’s Express Shop, 6104 Highway Y in French Village, where the ticket was purchased.

“The girl that sells the tickets was so happy. She came running up to me and said, ‘I knew I would sell you a winning ticket!’ It’s exciting for everyone,” said Lunsford after four of the winning group members claimed the prize, wearing sweatshirts from Jake’s Express Shop.

Current Jackpot

The Powerball jackpot eventually climbed to $559.7 million before being won by a ticket holder from New Hampshire on Saturday 6th January. The top prize is now back up to $78 million ahead of Saturday’s game, and you can buy tickets from authorized retailers in participating states. Whether you’re playing in a group or going it alone, it could just be that you are the next big winner. Good luck!