The Powerball jackpot has continued to climb after 40 straight drawings without a jackpot winner and ticket sales are pushing the grand prize even higher.
WASHINGTON — Wednesday could make somebody incredibly rich, if luck is on their side.
The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing has grown to an estimated $1.4 billion, making it the fourth-largest jackpot prize in the game’s history.
It was initially estimated to be a $1.3 billion prize, but game leaders increased the jackpot estimate Wednesday morning after reviewing national ticket sales. Monday’s drawing was the 40th straight pull without a grand prize winner.
As jackpots rise, so does the hype around them. And as more people see the life-changing number for a win, more people tend to buy tickets. This increase in buying causes a snowball effect until inevitably some player gets lucky and picks the winning numbers.
And they’ve often come close. Lottery officials noted 12 people in Monday’s drawing got all five white ball numbers correct, but missed the Powerball number that would’ve won them the jackpot.
“Tonight could be the night this billion-dollar Powerball jackpot is won!” Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, said in a statement. “Players are excited to take another shot at this growing jackpot, but we encourage everyone to play responsibly.”
If somebody does win on Wednesday, they’ll walk away with either annual payments over 30 years, totaling the $1.4 billion before tax, or a lump sum of $634.3 million. The lump sum is what most people take.
What are the odds of winning the Powerball?
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million. The odds of matching all five white balls and winning the $1 million prize are 1 in 11,688,053. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.87.
What time is the Powerball drawing?
The Powerball drawing takes place live at 10:59 p.m. ET every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The drawing is broadcast live from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla.
How much is a Powerball ticket?
Tickets, which cost $2 per play, are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What are the largest Powerball jackpots?
The eye-popping $1.4 billion jackpot is quickly climbing the ladder of Powerball wins, approaching the highest payout in the game’s history. Powerball lottery games have potentially huge jackpots because they are played in multiple states.
Here’s where Wednesday’s jackpot compares to the largest jackpot prizes in Powerball history:
- $2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 – CA
- $1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.4 Billion (estimated) – Sept. 3, 2025
- $1.326 Billion – April 6, 2024 – OR
- $1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA
- $842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI
- $768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI
- $758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA
- $754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 – WA
