Powerball jackpot crosses $1 billion mark after nobody, once again, beats the astronomical odds
The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.04 billion after no players hit it big Saturday night, continuing a stretch of lottery futility lasting for more than two months.
The numbers drawn were: 19, 30, 37, 44, 46 and red Powerball 22.
The jackpot for the next drawing Monday night remains the world’s ninth-largest lottery prize of all time.
The $1.04 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who opts for payment through an annuity, doled out over 30 years. Winners almost always take the cash option, which for Monday’s drawing would be an estimated $478.2 million.
Those winnings would be subject to federal taxes, while many states also tax lottery prizes.
The jackpot has grown so large because there have been 30 consecutive drawings without a big winner, dating back to July 19. Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes becoming ever larger as they repeatedly roll over when no one wins.
The largest jackpot was a $2.04 billion Powerball prize hit by a player in California in November 2022.
In most states, a Powerball ticket costs $2 and players can select their own numbers or leave that task to a computer.
Powerball is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
