The advertised top prize of $208 million for the draw on Saturday 19th September had not been enough to tempt Millard initially, but he recalled a series of messages he had received from a clairvoyant and bought ten tickets at Golden Rule Liquor in Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles. He matched all five main numbers, but not the Powerball, to win a life-changing $1,009,368.
Recalling his story to lottery officials as he came forward to collect his prize this week, Millard admitted that he had been sceptical about the psychic’s abilities and had decided to stop interacting with her once a free trial expired, but she was persistent. He said: “She would hit me periodically with messages saying ‘Your money’s coming. This year is a change for you. I thought, ‘I gotta play a lottery ticket. Maybe she’s right’.”
Millard’s mystical encounters may have made him rich, but he will think very carefully before deciding how to spend his winnings and back his own judgment. He said “I’m moving forward, moving on. I don’t want to squander it.”
The Powerball jackpot has kept rolling since Millard picked up his $1 million and currently stands at $301 million ahead of Wednesday evening’s draw. A number of changes are also set to come into effect for Powerball from 4th October, requiring players to select five main numbers from a choice of 69 rather than the current selection of 59. The pool of Powerball numbers, meanwhile, will decrease from 35 to 26, leading to better odds of winning any prize but longer odds of landing the jackpot.
It will be fascinating to see whether the top prize is won before the changes are made or whether the jackpot will keep growing. Millard’s psychic may be the only person who knows what will happen, and everyone else will have to rely on luck as they pick up a ticket to try and win big.
