Wilkes-Barre Man claims $4.2 Million Match 6 lotto jackpot
28 Oct 2011
Draman, of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, did indeed win the $4.2 million Match 6 Lotto jackpot on Oct. 24. His ticket correctly matched all six winning numbers, 02-05-10-13-28-48, to win a jackpot of $4,205,027, less 25 percent federal withholding.
On Oct. 25, Draman returned to Anthracite Newsstand, the Wilkes-Barre store where he bought his ticket, to have it checked. What happened next was startling.
"The machine made a different noise, and the clerk turned as white as a ghost and started screaming," said Draman. "A cop in the store was going for his gun. I backed away from the counter and said, 'This is about the Lottery. How much did I win?'"
Draman then presented his ticket to the Wilkes-Barre Lottery area office, and it was validated at Lottery headquarters in Middletown on Oct. 27.
"It's surreal, and I'm very humbled," said Draman, 62, noting he plans to retire, buy a vacation home and take care of his family with his winnings.
The Anthracite Newsstand will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
This was the largest Match 6 Lotto jackpot – and the eighth to be won – since the game's return in June 2010. The jackpot had been growing since one ticket matched all six winning numbers in the July 4 drawing. Including the jackpot winner, there were 134,162 total winning plays from Monday evening's Match 6 drawing.
In addition to awarding more than $65.5 million in prizes to Luzerne County in fiscal year 2009-10, the Pennsylvania Lottery contributed more than $39.2 million to Luzerne County seniors' programs.
How to Play Match 6 Lotto: Match 6 tickets cost $2 each. Players can choose six numbers from 1 to 49 or have numbers randomly selected by computer. The computer will then randomly select an additional two sets of six numbers, for three lines of six numbers each or 18 numbers total. Players can win up to four times on each ticket – once on each of three lines (base play) and by combining all 18 numbers (combined play). Match 6 Lotto drawings are held on Monday and Thursday evenings.