Powerball lottery drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 11 p.m. ET, including on holidays. Participants in Florida must remember that prizes for lottery games need to be claimed within 180 days (or six months) from the date of the drawing.
Currently, the Mega Millions lottery has reset to $50 million following a remarkable win of $980 million by a ticket purchased in Georgia on November 14. The excitement surrounding lottery games is palpable, with many hoping that their $2 ticket could lead to a life-changing jackpot.
After the previous Powerball drawing on November 15, where no one matched all five numbers plus the Powerball, the jackpot surged to nearly $575 million for the upcoming drawing on November 17. This particular jackpot has rolled over 28 times since it reset to $20 million back on September 8, when winning tickets from Fredericksburg, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri, claimed the staggering $1.787 billion Powerball prize on September 6.
For the current Powerball drawing on November 17, the winning numbers were 7-33-50-57-66, with the Powerball being 23 and a Power Play multiplier of 5x. Lottery enthusiasts are eager to see if there will be a winner just ahead of the festive season, which encompasses Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. The previous Saturday’s drawing yielded a new set of winning numbers, which were 6-7-12-47-53, along with the Powerball number 21 and a Power Play of 4x. While that drawing resulted in another rollover, it was not completely bleak, as one ticket from Puerto Rico matched five numbers plus the Power Play for a $2 million prize, with three others winning $1 million each in Arizona and California.
Tickets for the Powerball start at just $2, and potential players are reminded of the lottery odds and the necessity to claim prizes in a timely manner. In Florida, players must apply for a single-payment cash option within 60 days after the draw date to ensure they do not miss out on their winnings.
Florida law mandates that lottery winners cannot remain anonymous; however, it does provide a temporary exemption for those claiming prizes of $250,000 or more for 90 days post-claim. Experts note that there are strategies that winners can employ to maintain their privacy if desired.
In the context of lottery history, the latest drawing continues to build suspense and excitement, with the current jackpot climbing toward significant heights reminiscent of some of the largest lottery payouts ever recorded. The top Powerball jackpots in history include staggering amounts like $2.04 billion from Nov. 7, 2022, and the recently won $1.787 billion prize from September 2025.
As players eagerly await the next drawing, the renewed interest in both Powerball and Mega Millions reflects the enduring thrill of the lottery landscape in the U.S. Players are encouraged to join in the excitement and possibly change their fortunes, reminding us all that with every ticket purchased, a new opportunity arises.