Powerball Jackpot Jumps to $1.25 Billion After No Winner
The Powerball jackpot has surged to an estimated $1.25 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers in Monday night’s drawing. The lack of a jackpot winner continues a months-long streak that has pushed the prize into rare territory.
The winning numbers drawn Monday were 23, 35, 59, 63, and 68, with a red Powerball of 2. The Power Play multiplier was 4.
While no one secured the top prize, two tickets sold in Arizona and California matched all five white balls, each winning $1 million, according to Powerball officials. The drawing also produced 43 tickets worth $50,000 and 14 tickets worth $200,000.
A Rare Billion-Dollar Run
The current jackpot marks the second Powerball prize to exceed $1 billion this year and the 12th billion-dollar jackpot in the past five years, reflecting how frequently massive jackpots now occur.
The largest Powerball prize of the year came in September, when a $1.787 billion jackpot was split between winners in Missouri and Texas. Those winners opted for the lump sum option, receiving about $410 million before taxes.
“Powerball has only seen back-to-back to billion-dollar jackpots twice, and this one has arrived just in time for the holidays,” said Matt Strawn, Iowa Lottery CEO and Powerball Product Group Chair. “While it’s exciting to see the jackpot climb to this level, please remember to play responsibly.”
Lump Sum vs. Annuity Explained
The advertised jackpot amount assumes a winner chooses the annuity option, which pays out in 30 escalating installments over 29 years. That figure reflects interest earned over time, not the immediate cash value.
If a winner instead chooses the lump sum, the payout is significantly smaller. For Wednesday night’s drawing, the estimated cash option is $572.1 million before federal and state taxes.
Lottery officials note that most winners historically choose the lump sum, despite the reduced total, for immediate access to funds.
Odds Remain Steep
Despite the growing jackpot, the odds remain unchanged. The chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 290.2 million, making it one of the hardest prizes to hit in U.S. lottery history.
The next Powerball drawing is scheduled for Wednesday at 10:59 p.m. ET, with tickets available until shortly before the drawing in participating states.
Did you find this information useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline to share with your friends.