Economist Jeffery Degner shares the first steps lottery winners should take to protect their privacy, manage their winnings and avoid costly mistakes.
The Powerball jackpot surged to an estimated $975 million ahead of Wednesday night’s drawing, making it the eighth-largest prize in the game’s history.
The pot grew after no ticket matched all six numbers from Monday night’s drawing.
The white balls were 6, 37, 54, 55, 64. The red Powerball was 10 and the Power Play multiplier was three.
It now has an estimated cash value of $422.3 million, according to the lottery.
The Powerball jackpot is now the eighth-largest in the game’s history. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9, while the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
Though there was no jackpot winner in the latest drawing, two tickets matched all five white balls, the lottery said. Winning Match 5 tickets were sold in California and Maryland. A ticket matching all five white balls was sold in Tennessee and included the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $2 million.
Wednesday’s drawing will mark the 44th in the current jackpot run.
The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9, while the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. (CatLane/iStock)
The Powerball jackpot was last won on May 2, when two tickets in Florida and Texas split a $20 million prize.
The winner can choose between a lump sum payment or an annuitized prize – one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Both options are before taxes.
The Powerball jackpot now has an estimated cash value of $391.9 million, according to the lottery. (Reuters/Andrew Kelly)
Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom. Drawings occur three nights a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
The biggest Powerball jackpots:
- $2.04 billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – California
- $1.817 billion – Dec. 24, 2025 – Arkansas
- $1.787 billion – Sept. 6, 2025 – Missouri, Texas
- $1.765 billion – Oct. 11, 2023 – California
- $1.586 billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – California, Florida, Tennessee
- $1.326 billion – April 6, 2024 – Oregon
- $1.08 billion – July 19, 2023 – California
- $975 million – Aug. 12, 2026 (current prize, estimated jackpot)
- $842.4 million – Jan. 1, 2024 – Michigan
- $768.4 million – March 27, 2019 – Wisconsin
