The Powerball jackpot is approaching the $1 billion mark for Saturday night’s drawing.
It’s at an estimated $950 million after no tickets came up winners for Wednesday night’s jackpot of roughly $850 million — the game’s sixth-largest ever at the time. Those winning numbers were 9, 12, 22, 41, 61 with a Powerball of 25.
The estimated cash value of Saturday night’s pot of gold is $428.9 million. Wednesday’s had an estimated cash value of $383.7 million, Powerball said. All the totals are before taxes are taken out. Jackpots can grow as more and more tickets are gobbled up.
The $950 million grand prize would also rank as Powerball’s sixth-biggest ever — behind the last one to top $1 billion — the $1.08 billion windfall won on July 19, 2023, in California.
“Powerball ticket sales have doubled in the past week, as more players join the fun with a $2 ticket, while also giving back to good causes in their communities,” Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group chair and Iowa Lottery CEO said ahead of Wednesday night’s drawing.
A single jackpot winner would have the choice of taking a lump sum payment or opting for a payout via an annuity that would consist of one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.
No one has won Powerball’s jackpot since May 31, when a single ticket in California claimed a $204.5 million jackpot with a cash value of $91.6 million.
The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball. Drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 11 p.m. ET.
In 2022, a single ticket sold in Altadena, California, claimed a $2.04 billion jackpot, the largest in both Powerball and lottery history. The first Powerball drawing was in 1992.
Powerball tickets cost $2 each and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Source:cbsnews.com
