The Powerball jackpot continues to rise, now reaching $620 million after no one matched all six numbers in the drawing on Wednesday, December 20. With a cash value of $299.6 million, it’s the 9th largest jackpot in Powerball history. The next drawing will be Saturday.
Winning Numbers Announced But No Jackpot Winner
The winning numbers on 12/20 were: 4, 7, 22, 32, 35 and the Powerball 24. While over a million players won smaller prizes from $4 up to $2 million, the big prize continues rolling over in search of the elusive perfect match [1].
At a news conference on Thursday, Powerball Product Group Chair and Missouri Lottery Executive Director May Scheve Reardon said “We look forward to Saturday’s drawing with an estimated annuitized $620 million jackpot. Powerball continues to capture the attention of players and engage new players with impressive jackpots like this.” [2]
The Powerball game is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association. It’s played in 45 states plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Jackpot Second Biggest in Powerball History
If hit, the $620 million jackpot would be the 8th largest in Powerball history. The record still stands at $1.586 billion from January 2016. However, with strong sales ahead of Saturday’s drawing, it’s likely the jackpot estimate will continue increasing and could reach into the top 5.
“There’s a rush every time it hits the hundreds of millions,” said QuikTrip store supervisor Patel Grant, whose Atlanta store has the world’s busiest lottery retailer. “Hopefully we sell the next billion ticket. That would be great for one of our customers.” [3]
The cash value for Saturday’s drawing is now an estimated $299.6 million. That’s the amount before taxes the winner would receive if they choose the lump sum payment option vs the 30 annual payments over 29 years. After federal taxes, top state rates could take out more than a third of the cash value.
State Winners in 2022
Despite no new nationwide jackpot winner over the past few months, 2022 saw a number of winners across different states. Just this past October, two Powerball jackpot tickets in California split a $2.04 billion dollar record prize. Winners also celebrated in Kansas, Pennsylvania and Oregon this year.
Previous big state winners include a $731 million prize in Maryland last year. A $699 million jackpot was hit in California the year before. The largest ever individual winner was a $1.58 billion ticket sold in South Carolina in 2018.
| State | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | Oct 2022 | $2.04 billion |
| Kansas | Nov 2022 | $92.9 million |
| Pennsylvania | Aug 2022 | $206.9 million |
| Oregon | Oct 2022 | $2.04 billion |
| Maryland | Jan 2021 | $731. million |
| California | Oct 2021 | $699.8 million |
| South Carolina | Oct 2018 | $1.537 billion |
How to Play
Playing the multi-state Powerball lottery is easy. Simply pick 5 numbers between 1-69, plus choose one Powerball number from 1-26. This Power Play option can increase non-jackpot prizes. Tickets cost $2 each.
| Matches | Odds | Prizes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 292 million | Jackpot |
| 5 numbers | 1 in 11 million | $1 million |
| 4 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 913,000 | $50,000 |
| 4 numbers | 1 in 36,500 | $100 |
About half of all ticket sales are quick picks where the numbers are randomly generated by computers instead of chosen. Retailers get a commission for each ticket sold as well.
Powerball drawings are held 3 times a week at 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets can be purchased until 9:45 pm in participating states.
What’s Next
Lottery officials expect brisk ticket sales leading up to Saturday night’s drawing given the giant jackpot now up for grabs. The Multi-State Lottery Association will release an updated jackpot amount on Thursday based on actual sales.
“This is when things get fun,” said Powerball Product Group Chair May Scheve Reardon about jackpots entering the stratosphere. “Our member lotteries are reporting strong sales and we want to keep the excitement growing.”
The next Mega Millions drawing is also this Friday night, where an estimated $785 million is on the line. Lottery enthusiasts wonder if we might see back-to-back billion dollar winners. 2023 is already shaping up for some lucky players out there!
[1] https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2023/12/21/powerball-winning-numbers-for-wednesday-december-20-2023/71997097007/
[2] https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/nation/2023/12/20/powerball-winning-numbers-lottery-drawing-for-wednesday-dec-20-2023/71994666007/
[3] https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/worlds-busiest-airport-holds-worlds-busiest-lottery-kiosk-powerball-grows-572m/E4JDW77O5FFXPGIAEFVO3KALXY/
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