For the third time since this summer, U.S. lottery players are hoping to be counting beyond the word “millions.”
Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing had a top prize of $1.20 billion, the ninth time that Powerball or Mega Millions has had a jackpot that reached into the 10-digit numbers.
The winning numbers were 9-35-54-63-64, with the Powerball being 1.
Powerball expanded to three nights a week in 2021, adding a Monday drawing to its Wednesday and Saturday games. Powerball said that the extra drawing would lead to “larger, faster-growing jackpots.”
There have been 31 consecutive Powerball drawings since the last jackpot winner on July 19.
If taken in a single lump sum, as most recent big lottery winners have chosen to do, Monday’s $1.20 billion prize would be worth $551.7 million. The larger, advertised amount is what the other option — a 29-year annuity — would be worth over its lifetime.
Federal taxes would quickly take almost 40% of that amount, with state taxes a possibility on top of that.
The $2 Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The five states on the outside are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
The odds of a winning Powerball ticket are 1 in 292.2 million.
