The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated US$975 million after no one matched the six numbers drawn Saturday night, continuing a nearly three-month stretch without a big winner.
The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 13, 33, 50, 52 and the red Powerball 23.
No one has won Powerball’s top prize since New Year’s Day when a ticket in Michigan hit for $842.4 million, bringing the number of consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner to 38. That winless streak nears the record of 41 consecutive drawings, set twice in 2022 and 2021.
The US$975 million prize is for a sole winner who chooses an annuity paid over 30 years. A winner opting for cash would be paid US$471.7 million. The prizes would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
As the prizes grow, the drawings attract more ticket sales and the jackpots subsequently become harder to hit. The game’s long odds for Saturday’s drawing were 1 in 292.2 million.
Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
