Nantucket woman claims $2M Powerball prize, ticket bought at lucky island diner

BOSTON — Mary Haley of Nantucket recently walked into the Old South Diner to buy a lottery ticket.

She won big.

Haley is the winner of a $2 million Powerball prize on a ticket she bought at the small island diner known for its lucky streak in the lottery community. She claimed her winnings on Friday.

Haley was joined by a couple of supportive friends when claiming her $2 million prize, before taxes, at the Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters in Dorchester.

“I was born and raised on Nantucket,” said Haley. “It’s very exciting to have a local resident win.”

She bought her ticket for the multi-state game, hoping to win. Wednesday’s jackpot featured a $147.6 million jackpot.

Haley, who said she plans to use some of her winnings to buy a new car, noted that Old South Diner has become a place for people on the island to gather and play the lottery socially.

The $2 million Powerball prize was won after the first five numbers on her ticket matched the first five numbers in the drawing.

The base cost of a Powerball ticket is $2. By playing the Power Play option for an additional $1, Haley was able to turn a $1 million prize into $2 million.

To win the jackpot prize, all five winning numbers plus the Powerball number must match the numbers drawn.

It is the diner’s second $2 million-winning ticket this month and its fifth prize of $1 million or more since March 2024.

On March 4, a Nantucket resident claimed a $2 million grand prize at the Lottery’s Dorchester headquarters on a “$2,000,000 Stacked” $20 scratch ticket.

Yancy Contreras Menjivar chose the cash option on that prize and received a one-time payment of $1.3 million before taxes. She told lottery officials that she plans on saving her winnings.

The diner’s string of big winners began March 11, 2024, when a $1 million prize was won on a “$4,000,000 Bonus Bucks” $10 ticket.

It continued on June 10, 2024, when a $2 million prize was won on a “Lifetime Millions” $50 ticket, and again on Aug. 20, 2024, with another $1 million prize won on a “$10,000,000 Bonanza” $20 ticket.

Old South Diner is located at 57 Old South Road in Nantucket.

The diner receives a $20,000 bonus for the sale of Haley’s ticket.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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