DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The bad news is that no one won Wednesday night’s huge $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot.
The good news is that means the prize has grown even larger to $1.5 billion ahead of the next drawing Saturday night. That is the third-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.
The numbers drawn Wednesday night were: 2, 11, 22, 35, 60 and the red powerball 23.
No one has won the top Powerball prize since Aug. 3, making for 39 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all six numbers.
What’s behind three months of lottery futility? It’s simple math. The odds of winning the jackpot are an abysmal 1 in 292.2 million.
It is because of those long odds that the grand prize has grown so large.
The new $1.5 billion prize is actually for winners who opt for an annuity, paid out annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners choose cash, which for Saturday’s drawing would be $745.9 million.
Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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TOPEKA — No tickets with all five winning numbers and the Powerball were sold for Wednesday's drawing, so Saturday's estimated jackpot is $1.5 billion. This will likely be the largest jackpot, if won by a single person, in Powerball history.
Wednesday's numbers were white balls 2,11,22,35 and 60, with the red Powerball 23 and Power Play 2X.
Powerball draws every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Tickets start at just $2, and players can add the Power Play multiplier to their tickets for an extra $1. For more information, see the Kansas Lottery website.
Never spend more than you can afford on any lottery product.
Please remember, it's just a game.
The Multi-State Lottery Association encourages all lottery players to be responsible in their amount of play.
For some people gambling can become a problem. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, there are a number of helpful resources listed below.
National Council on Problem Gambling
24 Hour Confidential National Helpline
Call: 1-800-522-4700
Chat: ncpgambling.org/chat
Text: 1-800-522-4700
Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators
www.apgsa.org