LI winner in new Powerball lottery

Just 13 days after the cost of Powerball tickets doubled from $1 to $2, Long Island had a $1 million winner.

A ticket sold at the 7-Eleven in Ridge carried the winning numbers announced Jan. 28, according to the New York Lottery website.

While there were no first-place winners for the $146 million jackpot, there were three second-place $1 million winners, according to the site.

Lottery officials have not yet identified the Long Island winner.

"We could not believe it," said Amir Ayub, store manager, who said he was notified Monday by the New York Lottery.

While sales had dropped off following the price increase, publicity over the recent winner had led to about $1,000 in sales for the next drawing, up from a normal $400 to $500, he said.

The increased cost of buying a ticket was accompanied by a doubling of the initial jackpot to $40 million and better odds at winning, lottery officials said.

In the past, lottery players had to pick five correct numbers and a Powerball number to win the jackpot. The same rules apply, but players now choose from a field of 35 rather than 39 Powerball numbers, improving the odds.

The new odds of taking home a jackpot are 1 in 175.2 million, down from 1 in 195.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs the game.

With Emily C. Dooley