(NEXSTAR) – After 40 consecutive draws with no big winner, the Powerball jackpot grew to $1.4 billion on Wednesday.
It's the largest grand prize in more than two years, the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot ever, and the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.
You may remember the biggest-ever prize was won in California in 2022. The jackpot in that draw was just over $2 billion.
The 10 largest Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots
| Rank | Jackpot size | Lottery game | Date | State of winning ticket(s) |
| 1. | $2.04 billion | Powerball | Nov. 7, 2022 | California |
| 2. | $1.765 billion | Powerball | Oct. 11, 2023 | California |
| 3. | $1.602 billion | Mega Millions | Aug. 8, 2023 | Florida |
| 4. | $1.586 billion | Powerball | Jan. 13, 2016 | California, Florida and Tennessee |
| 5. | $1.537 billion | Mega Millions | Oct. 23, 2018 | South Carolina |
| 6. | $1.4 billion | Powerball | Current jackpot | TBD |
| 7. | $1.348 billion | Mega Millions | Jan. 13, 2023 | Maine |
| 8. | $1.337 billion | Mega Millions | July 29, 2022 | Illinois |
| 9. | $1.326 billion | Powerball | April 6, 2024 | Oregon |
| 10. | $1.269 billion | Mega Millions | Dec. 27, 2024 | California |
Will the 41st drawing of this lottery run be the last? We'll find out if there's a winner Wednesday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Winners have the choice between a lump sum payout or to receive it in 30 installments. The lump sum payout is smaller, an estimated (still not-too-shabby) $634.3 million.
Whether the winner opts for the lump sum or the annuity, the amount they ultimately receive will be diminished by taxes.
Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets are $2. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, and your odds of landing the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
0 comments: