WASHINGTON — The Powerball jackpot has officially hit the $1 billion mark for Monday night's drawing after three months without a big winner.
No one has won Powerball's jackpot since New Year's Day, a stretch of 38 consecutive drawings without anyone matching the game's six numbers. If no one wins the jackpot Monday or Wednesday night, the game will match its record number of 41 consecutive drawings on Saturday night.
While Monday's drawing was initially set to be a $975 million prize, hours before the drawing it was upped to $1 billion. If a winner matches all five numbers and the Powerball, they have the option to take the full jackpot paid out over 30 years, or a smaller cash payout. Winners almost always take the cash option, which for Monday's drawing is $483.8 million.
Powerball is now the second lottery game to offer a $1 billion jackpot in the past seven days. Last Tuesday, the Mega Millions jackpot rose to an estimated $1.13 billion and was won by a single ticket in New Jersey.
When is the Powerball drawing?
The Powerball drawing takes place live at 10:59 p.m. Eastern every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets, which cost $2 per play, are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Can you buy Powerball tickets online?
Whether or not you're able to buy a Powerball ticket online depends on your location.
Currently, the lotteries in just nine states and the District of Columbia offer ways to purchase Powerball tickets online or through their lottery's mobile app. Those states include: Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
If you don't live in one of those states, there might still be other options for you.
Courier services, like Lotto.com and Jackpocket, act as a middle man. Players order lottery tickets via a mobile app or website, then those companies go and buy the ticket on the player's behalf from a licensed retailer in their state, upload an image of it on the app and securely store the physical ticket.
Jackpocket is currently available in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.
What are the largest Powerball jackpots?
- $2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA
- $1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA
- $1 Billion (est.) – April 1, 2024
- $842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI
- $768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI
- $758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA
- $754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 - WA
- $731.1 Million – Jan. 20, 2021 – MD
What are the largest US lottery jackpots ever won?
- $2.04 billion: Powerball - Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.76 billion – Oct. 11, 2023
- $1.586 billion: Powerball – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.58 billion: Mega Millions – Aug. 8, 2023 – FL
- $1.537 billion: Mega Millions – Oct. 23, 2018 - SC
- $1.35 billion: Mega Millions - Jan. 13, 2023 - ME
- $1.337 billion: Mega Millions - July 29, 2022 - IL
- $1.13 billion: Mega Millions - March 26, 2024 - NJ
- $1.08 billion: Powerball – July 19, 2023 – CA
- $1.05 billion: Mega Millions - Jan. 22, 2021 - MI
- $1 Billion (est.): Powerball – April 1, 2024