The anticipation is mounting as the Powerball® jackpot continues its ascent, now reaching a staggering $800 million for the next drawing on Monday night. This places it among the top six largest prizes ever offered in the history of the game, with an estimated cash value of $384.8 million.
The jackpot surged after Saturday night’s drawing saw no ticket matching all six numbers – white balls 6, 23, 25, 34, 51, and red Powerball 3. Although the jackpot remains unclaimed, over 1.9 million tickets secured cash prizes in the recent drawing. Notably, five tickets across different states matched all five white balls, winning $1 million each.
In addition to the $1 million prizes, there were 38 tickets that won $50,000 and 14 tickets that won $100,000 in Saturday’s Powerball drawing. Adding to the excitement, a ticket in Colorado hit the jackpot in the Double Play® drawing, securing a $500,000 prize.
The next opportunity to vie for the monumental jackpot is Monday night’s drawing. Should a lucky player clinch the jackpot, they’ll face the choice between an annuitized prize of $800 million or a lump sum payment of $384.8 million, both before taxes. Opting for the annuity entails receiving one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5 percent each year.
This marks the second time this year that a Powerball jackpot has reached the $800 million mark. The last jackpot win occurred on January 1, 2024, in Michigan, fetching a prize worth $842.4 million. Since then, there have been 35 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, leading to heightened excitement for Monday’s drawing, which marks the 36th in the jackpot run.
Powerball tickets are available for $2 per play and can be purchased in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee and streamed on Powerball.com.
While the odds of winning a prize stand at 1 in 24.9, the odds of claiming the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, making the $800 million jackpot an enticing prospect for players across the nation.
