Minnesota’s top Powerball winners are several state funds
Published 9:52 am Friday, January 15, 2016
By Peter Cox
A Minnesotan may not claim the $1.5 billion in Powerball winnings, but several state funds hit the jackpot.
Lottery players in the state purchased $49 million worth of Powerball tickets. The beneficiaries, which include Minnesota’s general fund, the Game and Fish Fund and the Natural Resources Fund, took in about $21 million.
While there were high ticket sales in the state, not all players were Minnesotans, said Don Feeney, the Minnesota Lottery’s research and planning director.
“Our top-selling retailer for both last night’s draw and for the run was in Grand Portage, Minnesota: Ryden’s Gas, which is the first retailer across the border from Thunder Bay, Ontario,” Feeney said. “So, thank you Canada.”
The airport had the second-highest Powerball ticket sales during the streak, Feeney said.
Minnesota lottery players won more than $6 million during what was a record-setting run.
“Particularly last night when we sold about $18 million in tickets for that drawing alone,” Feeney said. “The previous record was Saturday night, which was $13 million, and before that it was $10 million set back in 2012. So, all of our sales records were totally blown out of the water.”