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(CNN) — The Powerball jackpot has skyrocketed to $1.8 billion for Saturday night’s drawing after no winner matched all six numbers in Wednesday’s drawing, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.
The new jackpot is the second-largest in US lottery history, behind only the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in 2022 in California, according to the association, which runs the Powerball game.
Saturday’s drawing will be the 42nd since the Powerball jackpot was last won on May 31 in California. The streak is the game record for the most consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, the Multi-State Lottery Association said.
The new $1.8 billion figure represents the amount a winner could get in 30 annual installments, with one immediate payout. An alternate lump-sum cash payment is estimated at $826 million. Either scenario is before taxes.
While the amount of the top prize has climbed, the odds of winning have not and are around 1 in 292.2 million. The odds relate to the number of balls used in the drawing, which has changed over time, pushing down the odds of winning the jackpot – though the chances of a tie, when two or more people select the same winning numbers, increase as more tickets are sold.
At $2 per play, Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Wednesday’s winning numbers were 3, 16, 29, 61, 69, and red Powerball 22, with a Power Play multiplier of 2.
