Woman slept with her lottery ticket to bring good luck, won $2 million when she woke up

An Arkansas woman's superstition of sleeping with her lottery ticket paid off as she woke up $2 million richer from a Powerball jackpot drawing.

An anonymous woman Arkansas resident won $2 million from a Powerball drawing held on Dec. 13, 2023. She purchased her ticket at a Circle K Store in Maumelle, about 15 miles northwest of Little Rock.

One of her daughters offered her money to play the Lottery before the drawing, so she decided to buy some tickets while she was grocery shopping. She spent $15 on tickets, including the Power Play option, as she was a big fan of Powerball and Mega Millions.

"I said I was going to win big," she told the Arkansas Lottery.

On that night, she slept with her tickets under her pillow, dreaming of the money she could win. The woman said she tried this before and won a $100,000 lottery prize using the same technique. When she woke up the next morning, she knew she had won, but she was uncertain about how much she had won.

"I can't believe this," the winner told the Lottery. "Little old me. Your new millionaire, right here in Arkansas."

The ticket holder won a prize of $1 million, which was doubled to $2 million due to the 2X Power Play multiplier. She matched all five white ball numbers - 3, 8, 41, 46, and 64. However, if she had also matched Powerball number 18, she would have won the jackpot that night, worth $504.1 million.

After claiming her prize at the Little Rock Claim Center on Friday, the fortunate lady said she intends to move out of her apartment and into a new home. According to the Lottery, she has no plans of giving up playing the Lottery anytime soon. She is determined to hit the jackpot in her next attempt.

The Circle K store will receive a $20,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning Powerball ticket.

The Powerball jackpot currently stands at $543 million for the next drawing on Mon., Dec. 18. Players can check the USA Today site to see winning numbers at 11:00 pm ET.

Powerball winning numbers: 12/16/2023

The winning numbers for Saturday night's drawing were 03, 09, 10, 20 and 62. The Powerball was 25 and the Power Play was 3X.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY network.

Did anyone win the Powerball Saturday?

There were no winners of the Powerball jackpot. However, there were two second-prize winners in New Jersey and Wisconsin who matched five of the six numbers. The winners won $1 million.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms.