The Powerball jackpot has jumped to an estimated $1.6 B after no ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday’s drawing, extending a record 45-drawing streak without a winner.
Jackpot Details
The jackpot, which had been estimated at $1.5 B before the draw, climbed to $1.6 B because the top prize was not claimed. The prize will roll over to the next drawing scheduled for Monday, December 22. If a ticket had matched all six numbers, the winner would have had the option to receive the prize as an annuity paid over 30 years or a lump-sum cash payment of $735.3 M. Most winners choose the cash option.
Winning Numbers and Power Play
The numbers drawn, in order, were 4, 5, 28, 52, and 69, with the red Powerball 20. The Power Play multiplier for this draw was 3×, which would triple the amount of any secondary prize.
Secondary Prizes
Although no jackpot winner emerged, several players collected substantial payouts. Tickets sold in California, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Ohio, plus two tickets in Michigan, matched five numbers and earned $1 M each.
Historical Context
Saturday’s drawing marked 45 straight drawings without a jackpot winner, a streak that began after the last win on September 6. This 45-drawing run is the longest in Powerball history, surpassing the previous record of 42 drawings. The odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, a figure that keeps the prize pool growing.
Game Mechanics
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 each. Adding the Power Play option, which can multiply winnings by two, three, four, five, or ten times, costs an extra $1. Drawings occur three times a week-on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays-at 10:59 p.m. ET. The draw can be streamed live on Powerball.com.
A Curious Lesson
Math professor Nicholas Kapoor bought a Powerball ticket to demonstrate how improbable it is to win the lottery. “The lesson didn’t really go according to plan,” he said. Kapoor’s ticket paid off, winning $100,000-a reminder that while odds are astronomically low, the game can still surprise.
Jackpot Ranking
The $1.6 B jackpot for the next drawing ranks as the fourth-largest in Powerball history and the fifth largest among U.S. lottery jackpots. This ranking underscores the rarity of such a high payout and the continued appeal of the game to players across the country.
Key Takeaways
- The jackpot has risen to $1.6 B after 45 consecutive drawings without a winner.
- The winning numbers were 4-5-28-52-69 with Powerball 20, and the Power Play was 3×.
- Five-number matches in several states earned $1 M each.
- The next drawing is on Monday, December 22, with the $1.6 B prize ranking as the fourth-largest in Powerball history.
The Powerball jackpot’s continued climb underscores the allure of the game and the massive sums that can accumulate when no one claims the top prize. Players who hope to join the ranks of the next winner must keep buying tickets, but they should also remember that the odds remain 1 in 292.2 million.
