ONEIDA, Wis. (WBAY) – An Oneida couple has claimed a $316.3 million from a January Powerball jackpot.
Tammy and Cliff Webster had one of two winning tickets in the $632.6 million jackpot on January 5 — the seventh largest in Powerball history. The other winning ticket was sold in California.
The Websters opted to take the cash payment of $225.1 million rather than annual payments. After federal taxes of $54 million and state taxes of $17.2 million, they’ll take home $153.9 million.
“We are sincerely grateful for this incredible event,” said Tammy. “We always believed that we had a chance to win if we played and this is a dream come true.”
The couple found out they were Wisconsin’s newest millionaires when watching the morning news. Like most people, they didn’t think the odds would be in their favor.
”I was mumbling all the way to the kitchen table, like, ‘Do you know how many people play in Wisconsin, what’s the odds of us winning?’” Tammy remembered.
“The news said that they was two winners and I felt all sad, but then they said that they had one in California and one in Wisconsin,” Tammy said.
The ticket had the winning numbers of 6, 14, 25, 33, 46, with the Powerball 17.
”I lifted my finger up, and sure enough it’s a 17. And I couldn’t believe it. I just sat there staring at it,” said Cliff. “I yelled to her that we won and I couldn’t believe it. It’s unbelievable. I didn’t know what to do. At 4:30 in the morning we’re hugging and yelling. It was one of the happiest moments of my life!”
“And then we’re standing there: ‘What do we do? What do we do?!?’” Tammy added.
“I told her dad that I would always take care of her, and this gives me that opportunity,” Cliff said. “This is a wonderful blessing, and we are incredibly thankful and most appreciative of this opportunity.”
“We are very happy about this, and I want to thank Grandfather, the creator, God, for giving us this great gift.”
And plenty of people are celebrating along with them. We’re told the Websters, members of the Oneida Nation, were regulars at the Jackson Pointe Citgo on Packerland Drive in Ashwaubenon where they bought the winning ticket. The Citgo station won a prize, too.
“There was a $100,000 incentive from the Wisconsin Lottery, and it was put into our bank account about two weeks ago,” manager Mary Willems said.
And more money continues to walk into the store as people hope lightning strikes twice.
“I’ve noticed a lot of people I’ve never seen before, and they just actually keep coming back. We have a lot of new regulars and they’re coming just for Powerball tickets or Mega Million tickets,” said Willems.
Rick Hansen lives two blocks away from that convenience store. It’s his go-to gas station when he plays Powerball.
”When they said that the winner purchased their tickets here, my wife texted me right away. She didn’t know if I had them. But I didn’t buy tickets for that drawing,” he admitted.
So Hansen didn’t claim a share of the Powerball jackpot. But he also isn’t upset with who won because the money is staying in Wisconsin
”That’s good that somebody local won it anyway, you know. That’s, that’s a good thing,” Hansen.
Hansen hopes the luck rubs off on him. “I’ll just keep buying them here, and hopefully I’ll get lucky and get a winner one day.”
Wisconsin has 19 Powerball jackpot wins since 1992. We’re fourth on the list of most frequently winning Powerball states.
WATCH: LIVE- Oneida Nation couple wins powerball jackpot
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