[ad_1]
There’s a winning ticket for the $730 million Powerball jackpot, the first to get the top prize in months. The lucky ducat for Wednesday night’s drawing was sold in Maryland, lottery officials said, without being more specific.
It was the fourth largest jackpot in Powerball history.
It came after nobody won the still-growing Mega Millions prize Tuesday night. That one now stands at an estimated $970 million for the next drawing, on Saturday night.
Winning numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing were: 40-53-60-68-69 and a Powerball of 22.
It was the first time both lottery jackpots topped $700 million simultaneously. The biggest prize ever was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016.
No one had won either of the jackpots since mid-September, enabling the prizes to grow steadily for months.
Such long stretches without winners are rare but also reflect the incredibly small odds of winning – 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.
Wednesday’s drawing was the 36th in the Powerball run that started back on Sept. 19, 2020 — the longest jackpot run in Powerball history.
Maryland lottery spokeswoman Carole Gentry said Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing saw $260 million in sales, resulting in 36% of all possible number combinations being covered.
The prizes listed are for winners who choose an annuity option, paid over 30 years. Most winners opt for cash prizes, which would be $546.8 million for Wednesday’s Powerball and $716.3 million for the next Mega Millions drawing.
Prizes are also subject to federal taxes. Most states take a cut, as well.
Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is offered in Puerto Rico.
The jackpot for the next Powerball drawing, on Saturday, will be an estimated $20 million, with a cash value of $15 million
[ad_2]
Source link
