Why the winning numbers for record $1.9b Powerball were delayed
The drawing of the winning numbers in the record $1.9bn Powerball jackpot was delayed Monday night after officials cited the need for additional security measures.
“Tonight’s Powerball drawing has been delayed due to a participating lottery needing extra time to complete the required security protocols. Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 48 lotteries before a drawing can occur,” the California Lottery tweeted on Monday night, at around the same time the winning numbers were expected to be announced.
The state Lottery noted that “when the required security protocols are complete”, the draw for the record jackpot would be able to proceed and the winning numbers would be posted “as soon as they are available”.
“The drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors,” the tweet added, before thanking individuals for their patience.
As of 3.45am on the Powerball website, it confirmed that it was “likely that we will not know the official results of the Powerball drawing until Tuesday morning.”
Tonight’s Powerball® drawing has been delayed due to a participating lottery needing extra time to complete the required security protocols. Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 48 lotteries before a drawing can occur. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/jQZJQIPJXr
— California Lottery (@calottery) November 8, 2022
Later on Tuesday morning, Powerball announced that the winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56 with a red Powerball 10. Powerplay was 2X.
In order for the Powerball draw to happen, all 48 jurisdictions - which includes 45 states as well as Washington DC, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico - that are participating in the lottery must adhere to the same security protocols.
The winner of the Powerball jackpot will have the option to take home the jackpot in a lump sum payment, which would mean they’d get the reduced payout of $929.1m, the Associated Press reported.
If the winner instead opts for the payment to be doled out annually over the course of 29 years, they will then get the full $1.9bn.
The current jackpot began at $20m on 6 August and has since grown over the course of the past three months with no winning numbers being drawn. If there is no winner declared from Monday’s delayed drawing, the jackpot would then jump to surpass $2bn for Wednesday’s draw.
The jackpot for the delayed draw had already eclipsed the previous record set in 2016, when the winning numbers got to take home a prize of $1.586bn.
