WASHINGTON — It's happened again: Nobody has won the Powerball jackpot, meaning the prize is climbing closer to $1 billion dollars.
Numbers were drawn Wednesday for a Powerball jackpot estimated at $865 million, but nobody managed to snag the lucky winning ticket. By Thursday morning, the prize had crept up to $935 million.
It's likely that if nobody wins Saturday's drawing, the prize could be the second one this month to top $1 billion. Powerball's grand prize approaches $1 billion just as one lucky winner snagged a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot on March 26.
But the odds of hitting that jackpot aren't in anybody's favor. Powerball has only seen one jackpot winner in 2024, on New Year's Day.
Wednesday's jackpot cash option is an estimated $416.1 million.
Although nobody won big, there are still a few new millionaires Thursday morning. Tickets in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Texas all matched the five white ball numbers correctly, meaning they're worth exactly $1 million. None of those ticketholders picked the pricier Power Play option, which would have doubled their prize.
Winning Powerball numbers for Wednesday, March 27, 2024
The winning numbers were 37-46-57-60-66, Powerball 8 and PowerPlay 2X.
If a winner matches all five numbers and the Powerball, they have the option to take the full jackpot paid out over 30 years, or a smaller cash payout. Winners almost always take the cash option.
Even with the smaller lump sum payout, federal taxes will eat into those winnings, and some states also tax big lottery prizes. Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
When is the Powerball drawing?
The Powerball drawing takes place live at 10:59 p.m. Eastern every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets, which cost $2 per play, are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What are my chances of winning the Powerball?
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million.
Over the past few years, huge lottery jackpots have become more common as lottery officials have changed the rules and ticket prices to boost top prizes.
Powerball's biggest change came in 2021 when officials decided to add a Monday drawing to its weekly lineup of Wednesday and Saturday evening drawings. At the time of the announcement, Powerball proclaimed the addition of the Monday drawing would lead to "larger, faster-growing jackpots."
What are the largest Powerball jackpots?
- $2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA
- $1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA
- $865 Million (est.) – March 27, 2024
- $842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI
- $768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI
- $758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA
- $754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 - WA
- $731.1 Million – Jan. 20, 2021 – MD
What are the largest US lottery jackpots ever won?
- $2.04 billion: Powerball - Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.76 billion – Oct. 11, 2023
- $1.586 billion: Powerball – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.58 billion: Mega Millions – Aug. 8, 2023 – FL
- $1.537 billion: Mega Millions – Oct. 23, 2018 - SC
- $1.35 billion: Mega Millions - Jan. 13, 2023 - ME
- $1.337 billion: Mega Millions - July 29, 2022 - IL
- $1.13 billion: Mega Millions - March 26, 2024 - NJ
- $1.08 billion: Powerball – July 19, 2023 – CA
- $1.05 billion: Mega Millions - Jan. 22, 2021 - MI
- $865 Million (est.): Powerball – March 27, 2024