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.
The jackpot ranks as the second-largest in Powerball history and third-largest in U.S. lottery history and could break lottery records by Saturday night amid a flurry of ticket-buying. The largest lottery payout ever was $1.586 billion, split between three winners in California, Florida and Tennessee.
The numbers drawn Wednesday night were: 2, 11, 22, 35, 60 and the red powerball 23.
The $1.5 billion prize is for winners who choose to take their riches through an annuity, paid annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners opt for cash, which is currently estimated at $745.9 million.
Those winnings also would be subject to federal taxes. Many states tax lottery winnings, too.
No one has hit all six numbers since Aug. 3. That's 39 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner. The winless streak is due to the abysmal odds of winning: one in 292.2 million.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
The longer the game goes without a grand prize winner, the larger the payout will grow.
The Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It costs $2 to play.
Drawings are held each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.
Top 10 Powerball Jackpots
1. $1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – California, Florida, Tennessee
2. $1.5 Million (estimate) – Nov. 5 2022
3. $768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – Wisconsin
4. $758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – Massachusetts
5. $731.1 Million – Jan. 20, 2021 – Maryland
6. $699.8 Million – Oct. 4, 2021 – California
7. $687.8 Million – Oct. 27, 2018 – Iowa, New York
8. $632.6 Million – Jan. 5, 2022 – California, Wisconsin
9. $590.5 Million – May 18, 2013 – Florida
10. $587.5 Million – Nov. 28, 2012 – Arizona, Missouri
