LottoSmile's First Powerball Millionaire Speaks About His Lottery Win

In the months of January and February 2016, two online lottery players from LottoSmile won the US$1 million US Powerball second prize. We hope that this winning streak continues, and with that in mind, we take a look back at the story of LottoSmile's very first Powerball millionaire.

A record jackpot inspires a future winner

B.U. from the UK was one of many around the globe who watched as Mega Millions set a world record with their US$656 million jackpot in March 2012 (a record that stood until Powerball's US$1.6 billion jackpot in January 2016). The Mega Millions frenzy inspired B.U. to seek out ways to buy US lottery tickets online. A month after Mega Millions' historic win, B.U. joined LottoSmile and immediately started to play Powerball online. His dream of hitting it big quickly became a reality when the lucky player won US Powerball’s second place US$1 million prize after playing just five entries in the lottery's 2012/32 draw on 21 April 2012!

During an interview after his windfall, the lucky winner confessed, “One of the things that got me interested is that I heard about the Mega Millions on the radio. That got me interested in American lotteries, and that’s what led to me go on the internet to find out how to play.”

B.U. purchased his winning ticket with a Subscription entry which automatically entered him into Powerball’s exciting biweekly draws. Placing his faith in Lady Luck, B.U. used the Quick Pick option that randomly selected numbers for him – a decision he would certainly be thankful for, as five draws later these numbers turned him into a millionaire!

Rules changes create a new lottery millionaire

LottoSmile’s customer support team immediately contacted B.U. following the draw, and the prize-winning British player, whose identity will remain anonymous, reported that it took some time to recover from the shock and accept the windfall was truly his! “I thought it was a joke,” B.U. said. However, after the customer support team confirmed all the details the Sunday after the draw, B.U. was finally able to enjoy the win. In his words, “I was certainly woken up properly that day!”

B.U.’s numbers weren’t the only lucky thing, his timing was as well. In January 2012, US Powerball officials instituted important changes that would shape the amount of B.U.’s new fortune. Before 15 January 2012, second place winners were only allotted US$200,000. However, with the new set US Powerball prize category rules in place, B.U. was able to take home five times that amount with five correct guesses!

The only downside? Had B.U. taken one more step and clicked the Power Play multiplier option, he would have doubled his US$1 million win to an even more impressive US$2 million prize!

A winning journey from the UK to the US

B.U. enjoyed a trip to Florida, where the winner picked up his ticket from LottoSmile’s local office and claimed his winnings. Upon returning home, B.U. made a smart decision and chose to consult a financial advisor in order to make sure that he and his wife enjoy their newfound fortune for as long as possible!

B.U. was happy with his new millionaire status, but said he would continue to play in the hopes of winning an even bigger prize someday! When asked what he would tell fellow lotto players, he said with a laugh, “Not to give up because you never know when the big one will come. It will always come as a surprise!”