ST. JOSEPH. Mo. — The Powerball jackpot rose yet again to an estimated $1 billion after no winning ticket was sold for the latest drawing.
No ticket for Monday’s drawing matched the white balls 5, 8, 9, 17, 41 and red Powerball 21. The jackpot was estimated at $900 million.
The new jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing would be the seventh highest in U.S. history and the third largest for Powerball. Ticket buyers have a chance at $1 billion paid out in yearly increments or a $516.8 million one-time lump sum before taxes.
Three people won $2 million after matching all five numbers plus the Power Play, lottery officials said. The winning tickets were sold in Arkansas, Georgia and Texas.
Five people won $1 million after matching all five numbers. The winning tickets were sold in Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, New York and Pennsylvania.
The game’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to build big prizes that draw more players. The largest Powerball jackpot was $2.04 billion Powerball last November.
The last time someone won the Powerball jackpot was April 19 for a top prize of nearly $253 million. Since then, no one has won the grand prize in the past 38 consecutive drawings. The jackpot will keep growing until someone wins.
Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Winners of $2 million each in the Match 5 plus Power Play bought tickets in Arkansas, Georgia and Texas. $1 million tickets in the Match 5 were sold in Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, New York and Pennsylvania.
Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Idaho and Montana, Powerball is bundled with Power Play – a feature that allows a winner to multiply the original amount of non-jackpot prizes – for a minimum purchase price of $3 per ticket.
The Powerball jackpot grows based on game sales and interest, but the odds of winning the big prize stays the same – 1 in 292.2 million.
Jackpot winners can either take the money as an immediate cash lump sum or in 30 annual payments over 29 years. Both prize options do not include federal and state taxes.
All winning tickets must be redeemed in the state in which they are sold.