The phenomenal Powerball lottery craze continues as the jackpot climbs to remarkable $1.1 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers during the drawings this past Saturday night. The newly rolled-over jackpot marks the fifth-largest jackpot in Powerball history and will surely spark new ticket sales an additional round of creative optimism around the country as players prepare for the next drawing on Monday, September 1.
Saturday night drawing: the numbers and results
Millions of Americans tuned in for the live drawing on Saturday night, August 30th. The winning numbers come from the following: 3, 18, 22, 27, 33 and the red Powerball was 17. Along with the Power Play multiplier which for this round was 3, there was no matching ticket to win the billion-dollar grand prize.
Outside of winning the multimillion-dollar grand prize, there were significant worth winners on Saturday night. Nine tickets matched all five white balls and won $1 million each, and three more tickets, due to the Power Play option, won $2 million each. The winners in these categories were from California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana and New Hampshire.
Why the jackpot has grown so large
Powerball’s jackpot has now gone 40 drawings without a grand prize winner. This streak is now one of the longest in the game’s 33-year history, surpassed only by a 42-drawing streak in early 2024. There are complicated factors which account for the size of the jackpot. The primary factors are the difficult odds (1 in 292.2 million for the jackpot) and increased participation nationwide during the summer, as well as the Labor Day weekend. Since the last grand prize winner on May 31 in California for $204.5 million, the jackpot amount has steadily climbed each week.
Payout options: lump sum or annuity
The jackpot winner of Monday’s draw can claim a pre-tax lump-sum cash value of $498.4 million or choose to receive an annuity with an immediate payout plus 29 more payments with 5% increases. The jackpot may seem like a lottery windfall, but the winner will still owe federal and possibly state and local taxes.
It’s worth noting this is only the fifth largest jackpot in Powerball history and overall in the history of all U.S. lotteries. The largest jackpot remains $2.04 billion for one winning ticket sold in California in November 2022, and before that it was $1.765 billion in October 2023. The third largest jackpot was $1.586 billion to three ticket holders shared on January 2016.
Where to play and odds
Tickets cost $2 for each play, and they can be purchased in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of winning the jackpot with every ticket purchased are always 1 in 292,201,338. The overall odds of winning any prize are much better at 1 in 24.9. Tickets are sold at many retailers including grocery stores or convenience stores, as well as dedicated lottery retailers. More and more states are also allowing digital purchasing of tickets.
Recent winners and community impact
There were more than 600 mid-tier prize winners, over $60,000 in total, thanks to Powerball’s most recent drawing on September 1. Even without a jackpot victor, a drawing this large will create excitement and economic activity for local communities. In Powerball’s history, over $36 billion from ticket sales has been contributed in support of public programs statewide, including education, elder care, and infrastructure.
Next steps: Monday’s drawing
The next Powerball drawing will be held on Monday, September 1, as part of Florida Lottery’s live draw show at 10:59 p.m. ET. As the jackpot grows, officials are reminding players to play responsibly and check their tickets carefully, as many lower-tier prizes go unclaimed.
