Florida Woman Buys $2 Million Powerball Ticket At Publix

FORT MYERS, Florida – The Florida Lottery announced that Paula Bixby, 64, of Fort Myers, claimed a $2 million prize from the POWERBALL drawing held on September 15, 2025, at the Lottery’s Headquarters in Tallahassee on October 9.

The Lee County woman chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $2,000,000.00.

Bixby purchased her winning ticket from Publix, located at 2160 McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers.

How to Play Powerball

Powerball tickets cost $2 per play and are available in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Here’s how to play:

1. Choose five numbers from 1 to 69 (white balls).
2. Pick one number from 1 to 26 (red Powerball).
3. Add the Power Play option for $1 extra to multiply non-jackpot prizes.

The Power Play can boost winnings up to $2 million for matching five white balls or multiply other prizes 2X to 5X (or 10X when the jackpot is $150 million or less). Drawings occur every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET at the Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.

Powerball Odds and Payouts

The odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 24.9, while the jackpot odds are 1 in 292.2 million. Non-jackpot prizes are fixed, but the jackpot varies:

• Paid in 30 annual payments or a lump-sum cash option.
• If no jackpot winner, the prize rolls over to the next drawing.