Powerball jackpot balloons to $1.5B, approaches world record
Winners almost always opt for cash, which for Saturday's Powerball drawing will be an estimated $745.9 million
There was no grand prize winner in Wednesday night's Powerball drawing.
The jackpot rolls over to Saturday night's drawing with a grand prize of $1.5 billion up for grabs.
The jackpot for a potential winner who takes the cash option, would be worth approximately $745.9 million.
The numbers drawn on Wednesday night were: 2, 11, 22, 35, 60 with the Powerball of 23. The Powerplay multiplier is: 2x
POWERBALL JACKPOT SOARS TO $1.2B, SECOND LARGEST IN GAME'S HISTORY
Powerball logo displayed on a phone screen and coins are seen in this illustration photo. ((Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
There were three winning tickets that matched five numbers and the Powerplay for $2 million. Those tickets were in Arizona, Montana and New Jersey.
There were 12 winning tickets that matched five numbers for $1 million. They were in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Virginia.
The payout has reached this level after 39 drawings in a row with no grand prize winner.
The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9, and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
A customer fills out a Powerball lottery ticket at a convenience store in Northbrook, Ill. ((AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File) / AP Newsroom)
IOWA POWERBALL WINNER REVEALS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO RIGHT AFTER YOU WIN THE $1.2 BILLION JACKPOT
The Powerball jackpot was previously won on Aug. 3, when a Pennsylvania ticket won a $206.9 million jackpot.
The Powerball holds the world record for the largest jackpot set in 2016, with $1.586 billion shared by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee.
Player holding a Powerball ticket. (iStock)
In August 2021, Powerball added a third weekly drawing to help increase jackpots faster.
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Powerball is played on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.