Powerball winner to be revealed

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska Lottery officials say the winner -- or winners -- of the record $365 million Powerball jackpot will be revealed today.

Lottery officials scheduled a news conference for 10:30 a.m. at Lincoln's Cornhusker Hotel.

The winning ticket in last Saturday's drawing was sold in Lincoln. It was the biggest jackpot on record for any lottery in the United States.

Lottery officials earlier said that winners of big jackpots most often consult with a lawyer or financial adviser before coming forward.

Rumors and speculation about the winner were abundant.

The ticket holder has the option of taking the money in one lump sum or installments over 30 years. The cash option is $177.3 million, or $124.1 million after taxes. On the installment plan, the first payment would be $6,507,986 after taxes.

The previous U.S. lottery jackpot record was $363 million for the Big Game, the forerunner of Mega Millions. That was won by two ticket holders in Illinois and Michigan in 2000. Powerball's previous record jackpot, $340 million, was won by an Oregon family in October.

Powerball is played in 28 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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On the Net:

Powerball: http://www.powerball.com/

Nebraska Lottery: http://www.nelottery.com/