Oct. 5 (UPI) — The Powerball lottery jackpot grew to $1.4 billion for Saturday, the third-highest total in the game’s history, after Wednesday’s drawing produced no winning tickets.
The numbers 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and red Powerball 1 were drawn with a jackpot that was the fourth largest in Powerball’s history.
“Saturday’s estimated jackpot ranks as the third largest in the Powerball game and fifth largest among U.S. lottery jackpots,” Powerball officials said in a statement. “The upcoming Powerball drawing on Saturday will be the 34th drawing in the jackpot run, and the first time in Powerball history that back-to-back jackpot cycles have generated billion-dollar grand prizes.”
The last time someone hit the Powerball jackpot was July 19, when a California ticket claimed the $1.08 billion prize.
In Wednesday’s drawing, Powerball said 10 tickets matched all five white ball numbers but not the Powerball number. Three tickets, one each in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas won a $2 million prize for those tickets. The other seven tickets — two in California, two in Texas and single tickets in Colorado, New York and Pennsylvania — won $1 million each.
If someone wins Saturday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize worth an estimated $1.4 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $643.7 million. Both prize options are before taxes.
If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.
Mega Millions, which had already produced two billion-dollar jackpot winners this year, will hold its next drawing on Friday with a jackpot of $350 million and a cash value of $155.9 million.
