The Powerball jackpot is soaring to an estimated $815 million, marking the seventh-largest in the game's history, after no ticket matched all six numbers in Monday night's drawing. The previous jackpot, a hefty $750 million, went unclaimed, sending the prize money spiraling upward for Wednesday night's drawing. Lottery officials are bracing for a surge in ticket sales as hopefuls across the country vie for a chance at the life-altering sum. The excitement is palpable, with many speculating on how they would spend the massive windfall, fueling dreams of early retirement, lavish purchases, and charitable contributions. While the odds of winning remain astronomically low, the sheer magnitude of the prize continues to capture the public's imagination, transforming the everyday into a potential fairytale ending.
Wednesday night's Powerball jackpot will be an estimated $815 million, the seventh biggest in the game's history, after no winning tickets were sold for , Powerball's 10th largest ever when it was up for grabs.
The winning numbers drawn Monday night were 16, 19, 34, 37 and 64, with a Powerball of 22.
Wednesday's jackpot will have an estimated cash value of $367.9 million, Powerball said.
The jackpot could grow as people gobble up tickets as the drawing approaches
A single jackpot winner would have the choice of taking a lump sum payment of the cash value amount or opting for a payout via an annuity, which would consist of one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.
Both estimated totals are before taxes.
There hasn't been a Powerball jackpot winner since May 31, when a single ticket won a $204.5 million jackpot with a cash value of $91.6 million.
A single ticket sold in Altadena, California, in 2022 claimed a $2.04 billion jackpot, the . The first Powerball drawing was in 1992.
The are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.
Drawings take place at 11 p.m. ET every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and the jackpot increases if there's no grand prize winner.
Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and cost $2 each.
