PHOENIX (Mar. 8, 2013) – The Arizona Lottery announces Diane and Kerry Carmichael as the winners of the $1 million Powerball second prize for the draw on Wednesday, March 6. Remarkably, this is the couple’s second Arizona Lottery win following their $2.5 million win on The Pick in December 1995.    

Diane purchased the winning Powerball Quick Pick ticket at the Arizona Lottery’s Phoenix office located at 4740 E. University Drive in Phoenix. Kerry had also purchased the couple’s winning The Pick ticket at the Arizona Lottery office 18 years ago. “Good things come in threes. Two down, one to go,” Diane joked.

The Carmichaels are retired and reside in Tempe. They are still being paid a $125,000 annuity for their 1995 win, which will expire in December 2014. They plan to consult with their financial advisor, but say they will “resist the urge to splurge.”

This is the 19th $1 million Powerball second prize winning ticket sold in Arizona since $2 Powerball launched in January 2012. Nationally, the new Powerball game has passed a significant milestone, creating more than 500 millionaires at the game’s second prize level.

“This is an incredible win for the Arizona Lottery, especially since the ticket was purchased at our office by a previous Lottery winner,” said Karen Bach, director of budget, products, and communications for the Arizona Lottery. “Arizona has seen a substantial increase in the number of new millionaires statewide since $2 Powerball launched and we only expect that trend to continue.”

Along with generating more millionaires, the recent Powerball enhancements also have resulted in an increased number of winners overall. Players are winning more money more often, due to the improved overall odds of the game and the increase in ticket sales.

In fact, there have been more than 30,000 Powerball winners in Arizona during the last week alone. This includes a $10,000 Arizona winner for Wednesday night’s draw, who purchased the winning ticket near the Arizona–California border at River Lagoon Resort located at 50078 Ehrenberg Parker Highway in Ehrenberg. This ticket is yet to be claimed.

These Arizona Powerball wins come on the heels of the record-breaking $587.5 million Powerball jackpot winning ticket being sold at the 4 Sons Food Store in Fountain Hills, and claimed by a Fountain Hills resident on December 7, 2012.

The increase in Powerball sales and wins in Arizona also means more money being returned to important state programs. Arizona Lottery dollars are allocated to fund a wide variety of public projects and programs throughout Arizona that fall under four main pillars: education, health & public welfare, economic & business development and the environment.

The next Powerball draw is Saturday, March 9 for an estimated $150 million jackpot. Tickets can be purchased at any Arizona Lottery retailer.