This summer, the third-largest jackpot dropped from the Powerball after a lucky winner in California matched all five white balls and the red Powerball number to secure a staggering $1.08 billion. While this marked the biggest win for the year so far and the third of all time, the Powerball jackpot continues to grow, after surviving the drawing on Saturday.
With the next drawing scheduled for Monday, September 25, 2023, the jackpot is expected to become the fourth largest. For the upcoming Powerball drawing, the grand prize is expected to hit $785 million. This is an estimated sum that involves one immediate payment and 29 annual payments with a 5% increase per year.
However, the jackpot has a cash option that enables the winner or winners to take home a lump cash sum which is estimated at $367 million. While that’s far from the $785 million, it is still undoubtedly a life-changing sum. Since July, when the last Powerball jackpot was won, so far, there have been 28 consecutive drawings without a winner for the grand prize.
Powerball is known as one of the most popular lottery games across the United States. Tickets for the game are sold in 45 states, as well as the District of Columbia, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Drawings are set on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. An additional $1 per game for the Power Play feature enables players to multiply their prizes, creating potential for huge payouts even for lower-tier prizes.
The biggest jackpot from the Powerball dropped in November last year. At the time, a lucky player from California guessed correctly all white balls and the red Powerball number, resulting in a win of the staggering $2.04 billion jackpot.
More than 1.5M Lucky Winners Secure Prize from Latest Drawing
The drawing on Saturday saw white numbers 1, 12, 20, 33, 66 and the red Powerball number, 21. While nobody guessed correctly all numbers to secure the jackpot prize, overall there were more than 1.5 million winning tickets around the US within different prize tiers.
Notably, three tickets, one in New York, Florida and California, guessed correctly all white balls, granting them a $1 million prize each. On the other hand, a lucky ticket holder from Michigan, who paid an extra $1 for Power Play, secured a doubled prize of $2 million for guessing correctly all five white balls. Additionally, 30 ticket holders from the drawing on Saturday night secured prizes of $50,000 each for guessing correctly four white balls, while nine ticket holders scooped up $100,000 prizes each. More than 1 million ticket holders secured lower-tier prizes between $200 and $8.