A $500,000 Powerball Double Play ticket sold Saturday night in Ocean County is drawing attention not only for its size, but also for where it was purchased—raising questions about whether the winner may come from the area’s Orthodox Jewish community.
The ticket was sold at a QuickChek located at 3001 Ridgeway Road in Manchester Township, according to the New Jersey Lottery. The store sits between the Holly Oaks and Pine Lake Park neighborhoods, both of which are home to large Orthodox Jewish populations, and directly across the street from Manko Kosher Market and Toast Cafe, two kosher establishments frequented by local residents.
The $500,000 prize was awarded through the Powerball Double Play, a separate drawing held after the main Powerball numbers are drawn. The player paid an additional $1 to enter the Double Play drawing, which carries a fixed top prize of $10 million and a second prize of $500,000. Saturday’s Double Play numbers were 10, 19, 39, 47 and 67, with a Double Play ball of 18. The New Jersey ticket matched the five white balls but not the Double Play ball.
No one won the $10 million Double Play jackpot. In the main Powerball drawing, no ticket matched all six numbers, pushing the jackpot to $137 million for Monday night. Three $1 million tickets were sold in other states, and a $50,000 third-prize ticket was also sold in New Jersey.
Lottery officials did not release any information about the winner.