The Powerball® jackpot has reached an impressive $1.1 billion ahead of tonight’s drawing, with a cash option of approximately $503.4 million. This marks the sixth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.
Matt Strawn, the Powerball Product Group Chair and CEO of Iowa Lottery, remarked, “This jackpot streak is bringing people together to dream big during this festive time of year. Please play responsibly. Just one $2 Powerball® ticket gives you a chance to win this jackpot while also supporting good causes in your community.”
The latest jackpot increase comes after no ticket matched the drawn numbers, which included white balls 1, 28, 31, 57, 58 and the red Powerball 16. The Power Play® multiplier for the last drawing was 2X.
Even though no one won the jackpot, players across the country are still encouraged to check their tickets, as several cash prizes remain unclaimed. In last night’s drawing, seven tickets won cash prizes exceeding $1 million. Five of these tickets, sold in states including California, Florida, and New Jersey, matched all five white balls to secure $1 million each. Additionally, two tickets in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, which opted for the Power Play®, saw their $1 million prizes doubled to $2 million each.
The drawing generated a total of 49 tickets winning $50,000 and 12 tickets winning $100,000 prizes. It is important to note that in California, the amounts for prize payouts are determined through a pari-mutuel system influenced by ticket sales and the number of winners.
In another segment, the Double Play® drawing awarded two tickets, one sold in Colorado and another in North Carolina, each with a $500,000 prize after matching all five black balls. The Double Play feature allows players to enter their numbers into an additional drawing for a chance to win even higher amounts.
Tonight’s drawing will be the 43rd in the current jackpot cycle, setting a record for the most consecutive draws without a jackpot winner. The last time the Powerball jackpot was won was on September 6, when two tickets shared a massive $1.787 billion prize.
If someone wins tonight, they can choose between the annuity option, which would provide an estimated total of $1.1 billion over 30 years, or a lump sum of about $503.4 million, both before taxes. The annuity option involves an initial payment followed by 29 annual increments of 5%.
Powerball tickets cost $2 and are available in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Over half of the ticket sale proceeds are allocated to the jurisdictions where they were bought. Since its debut in 1992, Powerball has contributed over $37 billion towards various good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.
Powerball drawings occur live every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET and can also be viewed online at Powerball.com. The overall odds of winning any prize remain at 1 in 24.9, while the odds of snagging the jackpot stand at a staggering 1 in 292.2 million.