Connecticut lottery players hit $300K in Cash 5, Powerball prizes to start June

On Monday, a New Haven resident won $100,000 on a Cash 5 ticket bought at Forbes Premium Fuel in the city. The same day, a West Hartford resident secured a $200,000 payout on a Powerball ticket from DB Mart, a convenience store in Hartford’s South End.

The players are the first to win more than $100,000 on the state lottery in June, after 13 people did so in May.

The odds of both wins are low. For Cash 5, the chances of winning with five numbers and receiving the top prize amount of $100,000 is 1 in 324,632, according to Connecticut Lottery.

To play Cash 5, ticketholders choose five different numbers from 1 to 35 on a playslip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick their numbers. Players must match all five winning numbers in any order to win the top prize, though they can win smaller payouts by matching between two and four of the numbers.

Each Cash 5 wager costs $1, with a “kicker” option that players can add for an additional 50 cents per wager to increase their chances of winning, according to Connecticut Lottery. Drawings for the game take place every day at 10:29 p.m.

The West Hartford Powerball player matched four white balls and the red Powerball to secure their six-figure haul. The player initially won $50,000, and $150,000 was added to their winnings due to the Power Play.

The odds of winning were one in more than 913,000, according to the Powerball odds page.

The next Powerball drawing is Wednesday night. The current estimated jackpot of the Powerball is $181 million, with a cash option of $81 million.

Powerball drawings occur every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EST and are broadcast live on Powerball’s “Watch the Drawing” page.

A Powerball ticket costs $2, and players can purchase a Power Play feature for an additional $1 per wager, which can multiply prizes by up to 10 times, according to the Connecticut Lottery Powerball page.