A Marion County man has been identified as the winner of a $10 million Powerball prize from a ticket purchased earlier this spring at a gas station in Lake County.
Christopher Trail, 51, claimed his prize from the Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on March 18. The prize was for the Powerball drawing held on March 11.
The Florida Lottery recently released his identity following the expiration of a state law that allows winners of prizes valued at $250,000 or more to remain anonymous for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed.
Trail purchased his winning ticket from the Circle K located at 10030 County Road 44 in Leesburg. The $10 million prize stemmed from the Powerball Double Play drawing.
The Double Play is an optional add-on feature that gives individuals a second chance to match their Powerball numbers in a separate drawing that occurs immediately after the main drawing. The winning numbers for the March 11 Double Play drawing were 1-11-19-21-61, and the Powerball was 20. Unlike the main Powerball jackpot, which is an annuitized prize that grows based on ticket sales, the Double Play top prize is a set cash amount of $10 million for every drawing.
For selling the winning ticket, the Circle K location in Leesburg received a bonus commission.
This is not the first time a Marion County resident has struck it rich by purchasing a ticket at a local convenience store. Almost exactly a year ago, an Ocala man claimed a $15,000,000 prize from a scratch-off purchased at another local Circle K.
Since Florida joined Powerball in 2009, the game has generated more than $3.37 billion in contributions to education statewide.
The next Powerball drawing will be held on Saturday, June 27, at 10:59 p.m., with an estimated $348 million jackpot. Tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. to be eligible for the drawing.