But it doesn\u2019t take a holiday to get a big increase in sales. The Powerball jackpot also hit $400 million last September. The Sept. 8 drawing for $388 million brought in $33.5 million in ticket sales. When the Powerball reached $409 million on Sept. 11, $51.5 million in tickets were sold, a nearly 54% jump.<\/p>\n
This weekend also marks the 30th anniversary of the first Powerball drawing, which occurred on April 22, 1992.<\/p>\n
According to game officials, there have been nearly 1.75 billion prizes claimed over the last 30 years. That includes 393 jackpot winners who have claimed a cumulative $25 billion. That includes a world record $1.59 billion jackpot claimed in 2016.<\/p>\n
Besides the jackpots, Powerball has also given out nearly 3,000 prizes of $1 million or $2 million over its run.<\/p>\n
For 30 years, Powerball has been America\u2019s jackpot game,\u201d<\/strong> May Scheve Reardon, Powerball product group chair and Missouri Lottery executive director, said in a statement. \u201cWe want to thank our players who have joined us on this journey and dreamed of winning Powerball. Every Powerball ticket purchased has raised money to benefit good causes supported by US lotteries, such as education, veterans, senior citizens, and environmental conservation.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nPowerball has generated $27 billion in funds for the states and jurisdictions where the game is available. When the jackpots are combined with smaller prizes, the total amount awarded to players has been about $48 billion.<\/p>\n
How and Where to Play Powerball<\/h2>\n
Saturday\u2019s drawing is set for 10:59 pm ET. Check with the participating lottery to determine when it cuts off sales for the drawing.<\/p>\n
Powerball is available in 45 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. The only states where you can\u2019t buy a ticket are Alaska, Alabama, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.<\/p>\n
Tickets for the game are $2 each. For an additional $1, players can add a \u201cPower Play\u201d that multiplies any non-jackpot winning ticket. In select states, ticket buyers can get a \u201cDouble Play,\u201d which makes their numbers eligible for a second drawing that caps out at $10 million.<\/p>\n
Powerball drawings are based on two pools of numbers. Players pick any five numbers from the first pool, which goes from 1 to 69. In the second pool, players pick one number from 1 to 26. The odds to match all six numbers are 1 in 292.2 million. Players can also choose a quick pick, which randomly chooses numbers for them.<\/p>\n
Small prizes start at $4, and the odds to win any prize are 1 in 24.9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For the first time since the first week of the year, the Powerball jackpot for Saturday night\u2019s drawing is worth $400 million. No one has won the multi-state lottery jackpot since Valentine’s Day. That’s when an anonymous ticketholder in Connecticut claimed the $123.9 million cash option for the $185.3 million drawing. Saturday\u2019s jackpot is also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":210528,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33810,13699],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Powerball Turns 30 This Weekend as Jackpot Grows to $400M<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n