Powerball jackpot climbs again, hits $925 million after another drawing with no winner
DES MOINES, Iowa (NEXSTAR) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $925 million after no players hit it big Wednesday night, continuing a stretch of lottery futility that has lasted for more than two months.
The winning numbers were: 1, 7, 46, 47, 63 and red Powerball 7. There were $1 million winners in California, Kansas, Maryland and New York.
The jackpot has grown so large because there have now been 30 consecutive drawings without a big winner, dating back to July 19. Powerball’s long odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes becoming ever larger as they repeatedly roll over when no one wins.
Despite its growth, the jackpot still comes in behind a $2.04 billion jackpot hit last November in California; a $1.586 billion jackpot split by three tickets (California, Florida and Tennessee) in 2016, and a $1.08 billion jackpot won by a California ticket in July.
The jackpot is the ninth-largest ever and would need to surpass $1 billion to climb any higher in the record books.
$2.04 billion (Powerball): Nov. 7, 2022; California
$1.602 billion (Mega Millions): Aug. 15, 2023; Florida
$1.586 billion (Powerball): Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida, Tennessee
$1.537 billion (Mega Millions): Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
$1.348 billion (Mega Millions): Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
$1.337 billion (Mega Millions): July 29, 2022; Illinois
$1.08 billion (Powerball): July 19, 2023; California
$1.050 billion (Mega Millions): Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
$925 million (Est. Powerball): Sept. 28, 2023
$768.4 million (Powerball): March 27, 2019; Wisconsin
$758.7 million (Powerball): Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts
In most states, a Powerball ticket costs $2 and players can select their own numbers or leave that task to a computer.
Jackpot winners can receive the prize as an annuity (30 graduated payments over 29 years) or as a lump sum. Under the annuity plan, winners will receive an immediate payment and then 29 annual payments that rise by 5% each year until finally reaching the total amount. Winners almost always take the cash option.
Officials urge anyone lucky enough to win a Powerball jackpot to consult a financial adviser — while keeping that valuable ticket safe — before showing up at a lottery office for an oversized check. Those winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
According to data by LottoNumbers.com, which tracks lottery statistics and analysis, the current 10 most commonly drawn Powerball numbers are:
61 (drawn 90 times)
32 (89 times)
21 (86 times)
63 (85 times)
36 (84 times)
23 (82 times)
69 (81 times)
62 (78 times)
37 (78 times)
39 (78 times)
If you’re wondering what the least common Powerball numbers are, Lotto Numbers says the current three least common are 13 (drawn only 50 times), 34 (52 times) and 49 (54 times).
Powerball tickets are $2 each and sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. You have a 1 in 292.2 million chance of winning the Powerball jackpot and a 1 in 24.9 chance of winning any Powerball prize.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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