The Powerball jackpot continues to rise after no tickets matched all six numbers Monday night to claim the $1.07 billion grand prize.
The massive jackpot now sits at an estimated $1.2 billion – with a one-time cash payout option of $551.7 million – ahead of Wednesday night’s drawing. It is the third-largest prize offered in the game’s history.
The winning numbers drawn Monday night were 12, 26, 27, 43 and 47 with a red Powerball number of 5. The Power Play option was 2X. There is a 1 in 292.2 million chance of winning the grand prize, according to the game.
Four lucky winners did claim a good chunk of cash after matching all five white numbers, the game announced Monday night. One player in Delaware and another Michigan won $1 million while two players – one in New York and one in South Carolina – won $2 million through the Power Play option.
POWERBALL JACKPOT ABOVE $1 BILLION: WHAT’S THE TAX BILL?
The last time a Powerball player claimed the winning jackpot was on July 19 when a Californian snagged the $1.08 billion prize, the lottery said. At the time, that was the largest Powerball jackpot of 2023 and the third-largest in the game’s history.
The jackpot has been up for grabs in 32 consecutive drawings since the July win. The current run marks the first time in game history where a billion-dollar grand prize will be won back-to-back, Powerball said.
CALIFORNIA CONVENIENCE STORE OWNER REACTS TO SELLING WINNING $1 BILLION POWERBALL JACKPOT: ‘SURPRISED’
Behind that was a $754.6 million grand prize won by a player in Washington in February, which is now marked as the game’s seventh-largest prize ever.
Powerball tickets are $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The game says more than half of the proceeds from a ticket sale remain in the jurisdiction where it was sold.
Read the full article here