jackpot

Dec. 21 (UPI) — The Powerball jackpot has climbed to $1.6 billion after no one claimed the winning ticket following Saturday’s drawing.

There have been 45 consecutive drawings with no grand-prize winner.

The new jackpot is the fourth largest in the game’s history, and the fifth biggest among all U.S. lottery jackpots, Powerball said.

Saturday’s was the second consecutive drawing with a jackpot in excess of $1 billion that produced no winner.

The last Powerball winner claimed $1.787 billion in September. There have been 45 consecutive winnerless drawings since.

Powerball winners have the choice between taking an annual payout, or a lump-sum prize. If someone wins Monday’s drawing, they will have the option of receiving a $1.6 billion annuitized payment, or a $735.5 million one-time prize.

There was no grand prize winner Saturday, but 112 ticket holders claimed a $50,000 payout, and 22 claimed $150,000 each.

Tickets sold in California, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire and Ohio each won $1 million.

A winner of the Double Play drawing in New Jersey claimed a $500,000 prize, Powerball said.

The odds of winning the grand prize jackpot are one in 292.2 million, according to Powerball, though they are better for smaller prizes, which can range to as low as $4. Tickets are $2 each.

Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. EST every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Dec. 18 (UPI) — The Powerball prize has risen again with $1.5 billion now up for grabs this weekend with an estimated to be $686.5 million in cash.

Saturday’s prize is the fifth-biggest Powerball and seventh-largest U.S. jackpot.

“This jackpot is set to deliver the ultimate windfall,” according to Matt Strawn, Powerball’s product group chair and the Iowa Lottery‘s CEO.

No ticket matched all six winning numbers — 25, 33, 53, 62, 66 and Powerball 17 — so the jackpot increased as a result.

Meanwhile, lottery officials urged players to check tickets as many still won cash prizes.

Six players across the United States won $1 million each by matching all five white balls with winning tickets sold in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Two more tickets sold in Arizona and Massachusetts doubled their prize to $2 million via Power Play. The drawing also yielded 72 winners of $50,000 and 14 winners of $200,000.

However, California prizes vary based on sales and number of winners.

A Florida ticket hit all five numbers in the Double Play draw that won $500,000. Double Play, a $1 Powerball add-on, gives players a second shot at prizes of up to $10 million in a separate live-streamed draw on Powerball.com.

Saturday marks the 45th Powerball drawing in the current jackpot streak and the longest in game history.

The last jackpot win was on September 6, when tickets in Missouri and Texas shared $1.787 billion.

This is just the second time Powerball has seen consecutive jackpots over $1 billion, the first being in 2023 when California winners claimed prizes of $1.08 billion in July and $1.765 billion in October.

“The jackpot grows with every $2 ticket sold, and a portion of each ticket supports local public programs and services. We encourage everyone to have fun and play responsibly,” Strawn added.

Dec. 16 (UPI) — The Powerball jackpot soared to an estimated $1.25 billion for next drawing now offering players a $572.1 million cash option and a holiday shot at winning the big prize, the multi-state lottery association said Tuesday.

Wednesday’s jackpot will be the second-largest Powerball prize this year. It marks only the second time in Powerball history it generated back-to-back billion-dollar payloads.

“Powerball has only seen back-to-back to billion-dollar jackpots twice, and this one has arrived just in time for the holidays,” according to Matt Strawn, Iowa Lottery CEO and Powerball’s product group chair.

On Monday, the jackpot rolled after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn: white balls 23, 35, 59, 63, 68 and red Powerball 2.

U.S. lottery officials reminded players to check tickets carefully to see if they have won any cash prizes.

Two tickets — one each in Arizona and California — matched all five white balls to win $1 million. The drawing also yielded 43 $50,000 winners and 14 $200,000 winners.

Wednesday marked the 44th drawing in the current Powerball run which was a record for the longest jackpot streak.

The last jackpot hit on Sept. 6 when winning tickets in Missouri and Texas shared a $1.787 billion payout.

Wednesday’s jackpot winner can pick between an annuity worth an estimated $1.25 billion or lump-sum payment of about $572.1 million before taxes.

Powerball, meanwhile, is available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

But the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.

Powerball drawings take place live from the Florida Lottery studio in Tallahassee every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EDT and can also be livestreamed on Powerball.com.

Strawn from the Iowa Lottery reiterated his excitement seeing the jackpot climb to its new level but advised the public to “please remember to play responsibly.”

“A single $2 ticket gives you a chance to win, while also supporting good causes in your community,” he added.

Powerball lottery ticket cards are on a rack at a gas station in Houston, Texas, in 2022. The Powerball jackpot reached an estimated $1.1 billion for Monday’s pick after 42 consecutive drawings with no winner. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 14 (UPI) — The Powerball jackpot has risen to an estimated $1.1 billion after there was no winner in Saturday’s drawing, among the largest prizes in the game’s history. The next drawing is scheduled for Monday night.

The new prize is the sixth-largest jackpot ever, Powerball said on its website. The largest jackpot ever, $2.04 billion, was claimed on Nov. 7th, 2022.

While there was no Powerball grand prize winner Saturday, ticket holders in 7 states won at least $1 million. Those tickets were sold in California. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Monday’s Powerball winner, should there be one, would have the choice between annual payments totaling $1.1 billion, or a one-time $503.4 million lump sum payout.

Two tickets in Missouri and Texas split the $1.787 billion Powerball prize on Sept. 6, the last time anyone claimed the grand prize. Since then, there have been 42 consecutive drawings with no winners.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball. Tickets are $2 each. Monday’s drawing is scheduled to happen just before 11 p.m. EST in the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.

Powerball is available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.