The winning numbers for the estimated $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot – which would be the fourth-largest grand prize in the lottery’s history – have been drawn.
Saturday’s winning numbers are 44, 27, 52, 22, 69 and Powerball 9.
The drawing had been delayed for hours, with Powerball saying “one participating lottery that needs additional time to complete required pre-draw procedures.”
“Powerball game rules require that every single ticket sold nationwide be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn. This is done to ensure that every ticket sold for the Powerball drawing has been accounted for and has an equal chance to win. Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process,” Powerball said.
A lucky winner in the Powerball drawing on Saturday night can choose to receive the prize in annuitized payments or take a lump sum estimated at $608.9 million.
The jackpot grew to $1.3 billion after no tickets matched all six numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing, making it the fourth largest jackpot in the Powerball game. It’s also the eighth largest US lottery jackpot, ranking over the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot that was won in New Jersey last week.
This has been one of the game’s longest streaks without a jackpot winner, according to Powerball, with the last jackpot won three months ago.
On New Year’s Day, a ticket in Michigan scored an $842.4 million jackpot. Since then, 40 consecutive drawings have taken place without a jackpot winner, according to Powerball.
If no one snags the grand prize on Sunday, it would tie for the most consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. Only two other Powerball jackpot runs have previously reached 41 drawings before there was a jackpot winner, according to the lottery.
The largest Powerball jackpot – and the largest US lottery prize – ever won was $2.04 billion by a ticket purchased in California in November 2022, according to the lottery. Ranking second through fourth are $1.765 billion (one ticket in California, 2023); $1.586 billion (three tickets, 2016); and $1.08 billion (one ticket in California, 2023).
Winning the Powerball jackpot means a ticket matched all five white balls plus the red Powerball. The odds of winning any prize in a Powerball drawing are 1 in 24.9, and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to the lottery.
Powerball tickets cost $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Drawings are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. ET in Tallahassee, Florida.
Read the full article here
