The Powerball jackpot has surged to $1.7 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers in Wednesday’s drawing. The numbers drawn were 3, 16, 29, 61, 69 and Powerball 22. Two tickets sold in California matched the five main numbers, each winning $984,594, but missed the Powerball.
There have now been 41 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner since May 31. The next drawing is scheduled for Saturday night, with the jackpot expected to be the third-largest in U.S. lottery history.
Powerball’s odds of winning the jackpot stand at 1 in 292.2 million, a design intended to create massive prizes as drawings roll over. Smaller prizes, however, have significantly better odds. Powerball drawings are held three times a week.
If a winner had matched all six numbers Wednesday, the estimated $1.4 billion prize would have been paid out as an annuity in 30 payments over 29 years. Most winners opt for the lump sum, which for Wednesday’s drawing would have been about $634.3 million.
Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nevada does not offer Powerball due to a constitutional ban, but hopeful players often travel to neighboring states, such as California, to buy tickets. Popular stops include The Lotto Store just over the California border, where many Nevadans purchase their tickets.
