Beebe, Arkansas – A casual decision to buy a Powerball ticket turned into a life-changing moment for one Arkansas resident after a Beebe player won a massive $2 million prize in the April 29 drawing.
The lucky winner, who chose to remain anonymous, claimed the prize at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center on May 20. Lottery officials said the player matched all five white-ball numbers but missed the Powerball, which would have secured the jackpot. Because the ticket included the Power Play option, the original $1 million prize doubled to $2 million.
The winning numbers drawn that night were 3, 19, 35, 51, and 67, while the Powerball number was 15. The Power Play multiplier for the drawing was 2.
According to lottery officials, the winner purchased the ticket at BB One Stop located at 20 Highway 64 West in Beebe shortly before the drawing took place.
“I play once in a blue moon, but I thought, ‘Let me go ahead and try,’” the winner told lottery officials. “It was just one of those days.”
A Random Pattern Led to a Massive Prize
Unlike many lottery players who stick to birthdays or special dates, the Beebe resident decided to use a completely different strategy this time around.
The winner explained that they created a pattern while filling out the playslip by selecting a number, skipping a row, and then choosing another number repeatedly across the card.
“I would pick a number on the playslip, skip a row, then pick another number, and so on,” they said.
Choosing the Powerball number became a playful competition between the winner and their partner. The pair reportedly used a round of rock-paper-scissors to decide which favorite number would make it onto the ticket.
“My favorite number is 16, and my partner’s favorite number is 15,” the player said. “Since I won, I went with 16.”
The winner also decided to purchase the Power Play feature after their partner encouraged them to spend the additional dollar, a choice that ultimately doubled the final payout.
After buying the ticket, the player returned home and went to sleep without checking the drawing results. The following day at work, the winner saw news coverage mentioning that a major Powerball ticket had been sold somewhere in Arkansas.
Curious, the player searched the winning numbers online and quickly realized something shocking had happened.
“No, that can’t be it,” they thought. “This can’t be real.”
The winner said disbelief immediately set in after realizing the ticket matched all five white-ball numbers. Wanting confirmation before fully accepting the news, the player contacted their partner, who was still asleep at the time.
“I needed another set of eyes to look at the ticket,” they laughed.
Another Arkansas Million Dollar Ticket Still Unclaimed
Although the Beebe resident narrowly missed the jackpot, lottery officials said the winner remained deeply grateful for the life-changing prize. The player plans to use some of the money to visit relatives living outside Arkansas and intends to continue playing lottery games in the future.
Lottery officials also revealed that another major winning ticket from the same April 29 drawing remains unclaimed. That ticket, worth $1 million, was purchased at Maverik #5421 located at 2894 West Walnut Street in Rogers.
The holder of that ticket has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize.
The April 29 drawing became one of the most remarkable Powerball nights in recent memory. Officials described it as a “Night of Millionaires,” with 89 second-tier winning tickets sold across several states. Among those winners were 62 players who won $1 million and 27 players who won $2 million through Power Play purchases.
The drawing also produced two jackpot-winning tickets worth nearly $72 million each, creating a night filled with enormous payouts across the country.
