If you’ve been dreaming of hitting it big in the lottery, you’d be happy to know that Delaware has its share of lottery millionaires.
Since, 1990, there have been 13 multimillion-dollar jackpot winners and 18 $1 million dollar winners.
We analyzed more than a decade of big lottery wins in Delaware to see how many Delawareans have become millionaires from a lottery win.
The data includes lottery ticket wins of $10,000 and above from July 2009 through March 2022 and instant ticket wins of $5,000 and above starting in 2020, when the Delaware Lottery began tracking those.
Delaware is one of the states where winners can remain anonymous, and most winners take advantage of that. Here are some of Delaware’s biggest jackpot wins:
June 19, 1990, $1.13 million
A 44-year-old federal government employee, who remained anonymous, won half of a $2.25 million jackpot in June of 1990, his second lotto hit in one day.
At his workplace, 10 employees pooled together and had four out of the six numbers drawn that day and won $20. Initially disappointed to be receiving one-tenth of $20, he later found out he won the jackpot.
His winning ticket was purchased from Time Out Liquor on Moores Lane in New Castle. He usually played the address and birthdays of his three kids, but this time he was in a rush and purchased EZ-pick tickets, which use computer-generated numbers.
With his new fortune of $1.25 million which he would share with his family, he planned to make repairs to his home at the time, according to DelawareOnline/The News Journal archives.
The couple received their first installment of $44,000 and was scheduled to receive 20 more yearly installments of $42,800 after taxes.
June, 20, 1990, $1.13 million
A day after the first half of the $2.25 million jackpot was claimed, a 61-year-old retired man from Seaford was dubbed the winner of the remaining money.
Although his identity remained anonymous, it is known that his winning ticket was one of 50 tickets he purchased from De-Lux Daily Market on U.S. 13 in Laurel.
The retiree waited a full day to come forward about his win because he usually had bad luck and could not believe he actually won, according to DelawareOnline/The News Journal archives.
While a computer generated most of his ticket numbers, the winning ones were chosen by him, relating to important milestones and ages in his life.
With his wife and two kids sharing in the victory, he planned to take a vacation and buy real estate at the time. And to continue playing the lottery, he said, to keep contributing to the entity that contributed this a huge lump-sum to him.
Oct. 24, 1995, $29.4 million
An office pool of about 10 people won a jackpot of almost $29.4 million, the first time a Delaware individual or group had taken home the entire lottery prize, according to DelawareOnline/The News Journal archives.
The group, who requested that their identities and place of work remain anonymous, purchased ten Quick Pick Powerball tickets the previous weekend at the Chestnut Run Thriftway on Faulkland Rd.
March 28, 1997, $53 million
Almost two years later, a 32-year-old financial executive from Bear won the $53 million Powerball prize, a hefty reward for purchasing his first Powerball ticket. This was the third winning jackpot ticket sold in the state since Delaware added the game in April 1992.
The man, who requested anonymity, planned to split the jackpot with his fiancee and opted for the 20-year annuity option.
Upon confirming the winning ticket at the Dover lottery office, the couple planned to buy an engagement ring on the way home. The fiancee had a sales job at the time, “but not for much longer,” she was quoted as saying.
The man’s $1 ticket was purchased at the Red Lion Deli on Delaware 71, where he was having lunch with two other men that were playing the lottery and who urged him to get a ticket, too, according to DelawareOnline/The News Journal archives.
Aug. 31, 2001, $41.4 million
A first-grade teacher at McVey Elementary School, Kathleen Kearney, won a $41.4 million Powerball jackpot with her brother, Michael Kearney Jr., who resided in Pittsburgh.
The Hockessin woman bought $55 worth of Powerball tickets after some encouragement from her brother, and one of the Quick Pick tickets from Books & News in Hockessin won.
Despite the lucky advice she received, Kathleen had never won anything in her life and was so accustomed to losing that she didn’t realize she won until four days later, according to DelawareOnline/The News Journal archives.
The siblings, who planned to split the money, were slated to receive $30.05 million after taxes.
At the time, Kathleen planned to buy a new car, travel and pay her mother’s medical bills. Both siblings initially stated they would not quit their jobs, but it was later reported on Sept. 25, 2001, that Kathleen submitted paperwork to retire from her teaching position.
The Kearneys were the last to claim their share of the $294.8 million national jackpot.
Aug. 24, 2009, $10.7 million
Back in 2009, a lucky Hot Lotto ticket at VB Petroleum in Claymont struck for $10,700,00 in August. Robert Crowther, 66, and his wife won from a single $1 Hot Lotto ticket with an annuity of almost $16.7 million.
From Asion, Pa., one of the first people they told about their winning ticket was a bartender at their local pub.
Crowther retired in 2001 after working at Newark Chrysler assembly Plant for more than 30 years. While the couple planned to pay off their car and their daughter’s mortgage and buy a house, they were not sure about how to use the rest of their newfound fortune, according to DelawareOnline/The News Journal archives.
Oct. 3, 2012, $33.05 million
In October of 2012, Wilmington’s Cutrona’s Liquors on North Market St. sold a winning Powerball ticket for $33,046,926.64. The winner remained anonymous.
May 25, 2013, $10.38 million
A Powerball ticket at Super G #387 in Rehoboth hit for a similar amount of $10,377,750.10. The winner remained anonymous and had yet to claim their prize when the ticket first hit, according to DelawareOnline/The News Journal archives.
Having been purchased over Memorial Day weekend, the store manager suspected the winner of the ticket could have been a tourist passing through the beach towns, but he kept his fingers crossed for it to be a local.
The jackpot was to be split between two other winners who purchased tickets in Florida and Louisiana.
Dec. 17, 2016, $121.6 million
At the time, it was one of the largest million-dollar wins since the Delaware Lottery Commission began tracking the data in 2009. It was sold at Selbyville Goose Creek.
The winners were identified as a couple from Pa. the following January.
Marking the tenth jackpot won in Delaware since Powerball began in 1992, the couple opted for the $71.2 million lump sum over the 20-year annuity of $121.6 million.
The man had been playing the same numbers for years after a Powerball Quick Pick ticket gave him a set of numbers he liked.
The man had been playing the same numbers for years after a Powerball Quick Picket ticket gave him a set of numbers he liked. When he realized he won after scanning his ticket, he began to cry and walked out of the store to meet his wife in the car. In a similar state of disbelief, she made him double check the numbers.
The couple said they didn’t want to spend the money foolishly, instead planned to make donations to schools or other charities in the future. Avid travelers, they planned to buy an RV they had their eyes on, and the man added he might buy a hot rod, a longtime dream of his.
Here are all of the top Delaware winners since 2009, according to the Delaware Lottery
Winning tickets aren’t just a payday for customers. They bring monetary rewards to all sellers who dole out the lucky slips.
Those who sell a jackpot-winning ticket for Powerball or Mega Million, a $1,000,000 Powerball or Keno ticket, a Powerball ticket with Power Play that wins $2,000,000 or a Mega Millions (with or without Megaplier) that wins $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 can receive a $10,000 bonus.
Outside of locations with a win under their belt, some of Delaware’s top lottery retailers as of March 2022 include Royal Farms locations in Kent and Sussex counties, Wawa locations in all three counties, Mike’s Food Mart in Dover, General Store in Lewes and Ho Ho Mart in Wilmington.
More:Need some lottery luck? Try placing a bet at one of these spots with multiple big wins.
