Powerball ticket sales are stronger than anticipated nationwide causing the jackpot for Saturday night to rise to an estimated $960 million, according to the Virginia Lottery.
The jackpot had previously been estimated at $925 million for the drawing.
The prize ranks as the game’s second-largest jackpot this year and the fourth-largest jackpot in the history of the game.
The Powerball jackpot increased Wednesday night after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn – white balls 1, 7, 46, 47, 63 and red Powerball 7. The Power Play multiplier was 3X.
The Powerball jackpot was previously won on July 19, when a ticket in California matched all five white balls and the red Powerball to win a $1.08 billion jackpot.
Since then, there have been 30 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner.
If a player wins the jackpot on Saturday night, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize worth an estimated $960 million or a lump sum payment estimated at $441.4 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 percent each year.
Powerball tickets are $2 per play.
Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Lottery raised more than $867 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
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Crystal Graham
