The Powerball jackpot has ballooned to an estimated $1.3 billion ahead of Saturday night’s drawing after a record-tying streak with no jackpot winner.
The Powerball jackpot hasn’t been won since Jan. 1, when a ticket sold in Michigan claimed a $842.4 million jackpot.
Saturday sees the 41st drawing in the current jackpot run — which ties the lottery game’s record for most consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. Only two other previous Powerball jackpot runs have reached 41 drawings, before someone won the grand prize, according to Powerball.
A Powerball multi-state lottery ticket is shown at a retailer in Washington, D.C., April 2, 2024.
Will Oliver/EPA via Shutterstock
The estimated $1.3 billion jackpot is the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history and the eighth-largest overall when factoring in Mega Millions jackpots.
If a player wins the Powerball jackpot Saturday night, they can choose between a lump-sum, pre-tax payment of $608.9 million or annual payouts of $1.3 billion, also pre-tax — starting with one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.
Powerball tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The next drawing is Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.