Will winning Powerball numbers result in a Christmas miracle this December?
Nearly three months have passed since the last Powerball jackpot winner was drawn on Oct. 4, but anyone hoping to hit the Powerball jackpot this Yuletide season has so far gotten only a lump of coal.
No one matched all of the numbers drawn Monday night: 36-38-45-62-64, with the Powerball 19 and Power Play 2X. The jackpot for Wednesday's drawing is estimated to be worth $441 million, with a cash payout of $317.5 million.
The jackpot is climbing once again, reaching $400 million, with a cash option of $292.0 million for the next drawing on Saturday, Dec. 25, which happens to be Christmas Day.
If someone matches all the numbers Wednesday, it will be the largest December jackpot win in Powerball history.
According to Powerball.com, a Powerball jackpot winner has risen from the December snow 18 times to claim victory since 2003.
In 2012, there was a winner every week in December.
For those holding out for a Christmas miracle, six of those 18 wins came between Dec. 24-26 making for unforgettable stocking stuffers. That's a 33% chance of a December win landing around Christmas.
The jackpots have ranged from $30.9 million to $298.3 million, which was the total of the last December Powerball jackpot win on Dec. 26, 2018. A single winner from New York claimed the prize.
The average December jackpot win comes in at about $135.53 million.
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The Powerball will be played on Christmas Day in 2021. While it's easy to get excited about the prospect of winning the lottery for Christmas, you may want to temper your expectations.
The Powerball has only been won twice on Christmas Day — a $71.5 million jackpot in 2013 and a $48.8 million jackpot in 2010.
In fact, only two of the 18 December Powerball jackpot wins have happened since 2013.
Who knows? Maybe just like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story," you'll walk downstairs to find your version of a Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot, range model air rifle in the form of a winning Powerball ticket this Christmas.
I mean, a pink slip of paper with six winning lottery numbers is way better than pink bunny pajamas with attached slippers from Aunt Clara. Am I right?
Here's what you need to know about the Powerball:
Powerball numbers and results
The numbers for the Monday, Dec. 27, drawing were 36, 38, 45, 62, and 64, and the Powerball was 19. The Power Play was 2.
Powerball Double Play numbers
The Double Play numbers for Monday, Dec. 27, were 6, 11, 23, 24 and 40, and the Powerball is 9.
When are Powerball draw days?
Powerball draws occur three times a week, on every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Videos of the latest Powerball drawing can be found at www.powerball.com/watch-drawing at 10:59 p.m. EDT. Here's where Powerball drawings are televised in Indiana:
Evansville – WTVW7; every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9:59 p.m. CDT.
Fort Wayne – WANE15, 10:59 p.m. EDT.
Merrillville – Lakeshore Public Television, 10:28 p.m. CDT.
Indianapolis – FOX59; every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EDT.
South Bend – WNDU16, every Monday and Wednesday between 11:09-11:13 p.m. EDT, and every Saturday between 11:20-11:28 p.m. EDT.
Terre Haute – WTWO2; every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EDT.
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How much does a Powerball ticket cost?
Powerball tickets are $2 apiece. Tack on the Power Play for $1 and your non-jackpot winnings could be multiplied up to five times. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
What is Powerball's Double Play?
For an extra $1, you can enter your numbers into a second drawing held after the main jackpot draw. Participants can win prizes ranging from $7 to $10 million.
How to play Powerball
The Hoosier Lottery also offers an instructional video on how to play Powerball:
What is the deadline for buying Powerball tickets?
Powerball can be played in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The cutoff time to buy a Powerball ticket varies for each jurisdiction. Check with you local lottery office for details. In Indiana, tickets must be purchased by 9:58 p.m. EDT.
Can Powerball tickets be purchased online over the internet?
Yes, but the opportunity once again depends on each jurisdiction. Check with your local lottery office for more details.
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Odds of winning Powerball
Approximately 1 in every 24.87 Powerball tickets sold are winners. The likelihood of winning the jackpot is 1 in 292,201,338.
When was Powerball's last jackpot winner?
The previous most recent Powerball jackpot winner was Oct 4, 2021. One lucky California winner scored the winning ticket worth $699.8 million.
Here's a look all of the Powerball jackpot winners in 2021. They include:
$699.8 million — Oct. 4, 2021; California.
$285.6 million — June 5, 2021; Florida.
$235.4 million — Mar. 27, 2021; Florida.
$33.2 million — Jan. 30, 2021; New Jersey.
$23.2 million — Jan. 23, 2021; New Jersey.
$731.1 million — Jan. 20, 2021; Maryland.
Who has the most Powerball wins by state?
Powerball began in 1992 with 23 states and has expanded to 44 states since its inception. Here's a look at the number of winners by location:
39 – Indiana.
31 – Missouri.
22 – Minnesota.
18 – Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
17 – Louisiana.
16 – Florida
13 – Arizona.
12 – New York.
11 – Kansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Washington, DC.
10 – California, Delaware and Nebraska.
9 – Iowa and West Virginia.
8 – Connecticut and Rhode Island.
7 – South Carolina and Tennessee.
6 – Georgia.
5 – Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina and Oregon.
4 – Massachusetts, Montana and Oklahoma.
3 – Colorado, Maryland, Ohio and South Dakota.
2 – Illinois, Puerto Rico and Texas.
1 – Arkansas, Virginia and Washington.
0 – Maine, Mississippi, North Dakota, Vermont, Virgin Islands and Wyoming.
What are the Top 10 Powerball lottery jackpots of all-time?
$1.586 billion — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida, Tennessee.
$768.4 million — Mar. 27, 2019; Wisconsin.
$758.7 million — Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts.
$731.1 million — Jan. 20, 2021; Maryland.
$699.8 million — Oct. 4, 2021; California.
$687.8 million — Oct. 27, 2018; Iowa, New York.
$590.5 million — May 18, 2013; Florida.
$587.5 million — Nov. 28, 2012; Arizona, Missouri.
$564.1 million — Feb. 11, 2015; North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas.
$559.7 million — Jan. 6, 2018; New Hampshire.
Chris Sims is a digital producer at Midwest DOT. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: A Christmas Powerball story: No Yuletide winner Monday night
