Double Winner Claims Two Million Dollars in Single Powerball Draw
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In a surprising turn of events, Paul Corcoran from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, won $2 million in the Powerball lottery on July 18, 2025. Little did he know, he had accidentally purchased two plays for the July 9 drawing, which also turned out to be a winner.
Corcoran, a lifelong lottery player, purchased the winning scratch-offs at a Class 2 Drive Thru located at 1025 E. Lincoln Way in Minerva, Ohio. The jackpot for the July 19 drawing is estimated at $288 million (cash at $130.6 million).
When the five white balls came up on his numbers, Corcoran initially thought he had won $1 million. However, one of the tickets had the optional $1 add-on Power Play, doubling its prize to $2 million after the Power Play landed on 2x.
The man chose to remain anonymous, as permitted by the Ohio Lottery. He used the initial winnings to purchase a new truck. After federal and state taxes, he received approximately $36,000 from his latest winnings.
This isn't the first time Corcoran has had luck with the lottery. Previously, he won $20,000 on a lottery scratch-off. Interestingly, he had purchased a ticket for seven consecutive Powerball drawings, all with the same numbers.
Accidental multiple wins in lotteries, while rare, are not unheard of. Such occurrences are exceptional enough to warrant media attention, but there is no common pattern or frequent repetition reported. For instance, a Massachusetts man recently won $1 million on two identical Powerball tickets he bought at different locations[2][5].
Winning multiple large lottery prizes, whether by playing regularly or by purchasing multiple tickets with the same numbers, remains extremely uncommon due to astronomical odds. Experts estimate the odds of winning a jackpot like Lotto 6/49 twice in seven years for someone buying one ticket weekly to be about four in 10 billion[1]. Repeat wins tend to be newsworthy precisely because they are so improbable.
Cases like Stefan Mandel’s multiple wins were not accidental but rather the result of strategic purchasing of all or most possible number combinations to guarantee a win[3], which differs from accidental duplication.
As of now, there are three unclaimed tickets worth $200,000 a year for 25 years in circulation, according to the lottery's website. Six other tickets also matched the five white balls in the July 9 Powerball drawing.
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/lotto-649-winning-twice-odds-1-in-10-billion-1.5391283 [2] https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/02/26/man-who-won-2-million-on-powerball-bought-identical-tickets-at-two-different-stores/ [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/business/stefan-mandel-lottery-scam.html [4] https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2023/02/26/massachusetts-man-wins-2-million-on-powerball-by-buying-identical-tickets-at-two-different-stores/ [5] https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/02/massachusetts-man-wins-2-million-on-powerball-by-buying-identical-tickets-at-two-different-stores.html
- Paul Corcoran, the recent Powerball lottery winner, also won $20,000 on a lottery scratch-off previously, demonstrating his history of success in both casino-games and lotteries.
- Despite the jackpot for the July 19 Powerball drawing being an estimated $288 million (cash at $130.6 million), the big-wins in lotteries remain extremely uncommon, with experts estimating the odds of winning a jackpot like Lotto 6/49 twice in seven years for someone buying one ticket weekly to be about four in 10 billion.
- The Ohio Lottery allows winners to remain anonymous, as Corcoran did, ensuring privacy for the lottery winner.
- Accidental multiple wins, while rare, have been reported, such as a Massachusetts man who won $1 million on two identical Powerball tickets he bought at different locations.
