TUESDAY UPDATE: Now we've got a potential billion-dollar drawing on Christmas Eve.
Nobody matched all the Powerball number Monday night — the white balls of 3-18-36-41-54 and the red Powerball of 7. Nine tickets around the country did match all the while balls, including one sold in Florida.
Wednesday's jackpot now rises to $1.7 billion annuitized over 30 years, the fourth largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. The lump-sum one-time cash prize would be $781.3 million — a pretty darn nice way to deck the halls.
We're still on Billionaire Watch when it comes to Powerball.
Monday night's drawing could be the ultimate stocking stuffer or holiday gift for whoever matches the five white balls and the red Power Ball.
The top jackpot for the near-nationwide drawing has now reached $1.6 billion for those wishing to spread it over 30 annual annuity payments. For the 45th straight time, nobody matched the five white balls (4, 5, 28, 52, 69) and the red Powerball (20) on Saturday. The big bucks haven't been won since Sept. 6; that $1.787 billion prize split between winning tickets in Missouri and Texas was the second-largest Powerball jackpot ever and remains the most recent jackpot victory. Monday's jackpot is now the fifth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot and the fourth largest Powerball top prize.
Should one ticket win Monday, it's holder can opt for a lump-sum cash prize of $735.3 million.
Eight tickets across the country, including one bought in Miami, matched all five white balls for a $1 million win.
“Powerball is giving players a chance to dream bigger than ever this holiday season,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “Every ticket sold not only offers the chance at a life-changing prize but also supports important public programs and services in communities nationwide. We encourage everyone to enjoy the thrill responsibly.”
This marks only the second time in Powerball history that the game has produced back-to-back jackpots exceeding $1 billion, lottery officials said. The only other occurrence was in 2023, when a $1.08 billion jackpot was won on July 19, followed by a $1.765 billion jackpot on Oct. 11. Both jackpots were won in California.
You win something if you at least match the red ball ($4), or more with matching at least three white numbers, and more with a combination of those. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
Meanwhile, you have a 1 in 15,300 chance of being struck by lightning in your lifetime, a 1 in 13.7 million chance of getting killed in a plane crash, and 1 in 11.5 million chance of being attacked by a shark.
As always, the winning numbers will be drawn live at 10:59 p.m. Eastern time (get your tickets by 10 p.m.) and streamed live on Powerball.com. Good luck players!
