Sistersville Woman Wins $2 Million Playing Powerball

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Lottery Director John Musgrave introduced Beverly Swartzmiller of Sistersville as the state’s latest Powerball match-five winner at a press conference in Charleston today.

Swartzmiller, who was accompanied by her husband Herb at the press conference, purchased her lucky ticket at the ParMar 10 in Sistersville.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Swartzmiller said. “I do not play the lottery regularly and I almost didn’t buy any tickets this time. I had gone out to get a pizza and as I passed the ParMar it was crowded and decided at first not to get one, however I changed my mind. I parked down the street and I went in and got five tickets with the Powerplay option. I am glad I did.”

Swartzmiller is the fifth person to win a prize of $1 million or more by matching five numbers from the multi-state lottery games of Powerball and Mega Millions in West Virginia this calendar year. She also paid an extra $1 per play for the Powerplay option and doubled her prize to $2 million by doing so.

With this latest prize claim, there have now been 103 people win or share a prize of $1 million or more in West Virginia Lottery history.

In all of 2013, the West Virginia Lottery was able to create five new millionaires through its variety of games. Now, this year appears to be a banner year, because its only March 18 and the West Virginia Lottery has already exceeded that total with six.

The West Virginia Lottery is still awaiting prize claims on the Lottery’s outstanding Mega Millions million-dollar winner sold in Belle for the December 17, 2013 drawing, and the million-dollar Powerball winning ticket sold in Wheeling for the drawing held on February 12.

Tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $400 million. Players can purchase tickets for tonight’s drawing at any West Virginia Lottery retailer before 9:59 p.m.