Powerball winner checks prize email — and then has to ‘take a few deep breaths’

A woman in Michigan took home a big prize after deciding to play Powerball, lottery officials said.

Lamonica Foreman, 59, had to catch her breath after learning she’d won $200,000, according to a July 19 news release by the Michigan Lottery.

The Detroit woman “matched four white balls and the Powerball” in the June 26 drawing, officials said. She had initially won $50,000, but with the Power Play, the sum increased to $200,000.

“I bought my ticket online and had an email the next morning to check my account,” the woman, who regularly plays the lottery game when the jackpot hikes up to $250 million, told officials. “When I logged in and saw the amount of the prize, I had to sit back and take a few deep breaths because I just couldn’t believe my eyes!”

Foreman told officials she’ll put the winnings toward investments for her retirement, according to the release.

What to know about Powerball

To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This story was originally published July 19, 2023 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Powerball winner checks prize email — and then has to ‘take a few deep breaths’."