Powerball jackpot hits $1.5 billion after another drawing ends without a winner

The Powerball jackpot is growing once again. Since no one won the top prize on Wednesday night, the jackpot has now reached a huge $1.5 billion.

The next drawing will happen on Saturday night, and people across the country are talking about it.

According to lottery officials, this is now the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot ever. Every time there is no winner, the prize keeps getting bigger, and this time it has reached a record-breaking level.

No one won on Wednesday night

Wednesday’s Powerball drawing ended without a jackpot winner. No ticket matched all five white numbers along with the red Powerball number. Because of that, the prize rolled over again.

The winning numbers on Wednesday were 25, 33, 53, 62, and 66, with the red Powerball number 17. Some players did win smaller prizes, but no one claimed the full jackpot.

This was the 43rd drawing in a row without a grand prize winner. When this happens, the jackpot continues to grow, which is how it has now climbed to $1.5 billion.

What the $1.5 Billion Jackpot really means

The $1.5 billion amount is for the annuity option. This means the winner would get the money in payments spread over about 30 years.

Most winners usually choose the cash option instead. If someone wins on Saturday and takes the cash option, they would receive about $572 million before taxes.

After federal and state taxes, the final amount would be lower. Still, even after taxes, the prize would be life-changing for anyone who wins.

Why Powerball Jackpots keep growing

Powerball jackpots get so large because the odds of winning are very low. The chance of winning the jackpot is about 1 in 292 million.

When the prize gets bigger, more people buy tickets. This brings in more money and helps the jackpot grow even more. That is why billion-dollar jackpots have become more common in recent years.

The biggest Powerball jackpot ever was $2.04 billion, which was won in California in November 2022. Another large prize of $1.787 billion was split between winners in Missouri and Texas in September.

When is the next drawing?

The next Powerball drawing will take place on Saturday night, just before 11 p.m. Eastern Time. The drawing is held at the Florida Lottery studio in Tallahassee.

Powerball tickets cost $2 each and are sold in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Until someone finally wins the jackpot, the prize will keep growing — and many people will keep hoping their ticket is the lucky one.