The Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $1.23 billion after no grand prize winner in the latest drawing on Wednesday night. The winning numbers were 11, 62, 65, 38, 41, and Powerball 15. The next drawing on Saturday offers a choice between annuitized payments or a lump sum of approximately $595.1 million. The jackpot increased from $1.09 billion due to no winning tickets, making it the fourth largest in Powerball and the eighth largest in US lottery history.
Nine players matched five numbers in Wednesday’s drawing, each winning $1 million. Tickets were sold in California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Washington. This recent streak without a grand prize winner is one of the longest in Powerball history. The last jackpot winner was on New Year’s Day in Michigan, capturing an $842.4 million prize. Since then, 40 drawings have occurred without a jackpot winner.
If there is no winner on Saturday, it would tie for the most consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. The largest Powerball jackpot and US lottery prize ever won was $2.04 billion with a ticket purchased in California in 2022. The next three largest prizes were $1.765 billion, $1.586 billion, and $1.08 billion, all won in California in various years. Winning the Powerball jackpot requires matching all five white balls and the red Powerball with odds of 1 in 292.2 million.
Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Drawings take place three times a week in Tallahassee, Florida. The odds of winning any prize in a Powerball drawing are 1 in 24.9. The current jackpot is the fourth largest in Powerball history and could potentially break records if no winner is announced in the upcoming drawing. The excitement and anticipation of potentially winning over a billion dollars have captured the attention of many lottery players across the country.
