The Powerball jackpot has climbed to $1.6 billion after no one claimed the winning ticket following Saturday’s drawing. There have been 45 consecutive drawings with no grand-prize winner.<\/b>
\nDec. 21 The Powerball jackpot has climbed to $1.6 billion after no one claimed the winning ticket following Saturday’s drawing.
There have been 45 consecutive drawings with no grand-prize winner.
The new jackpot is the fourth largest in the game’s history, and the fifth biggest among all U.S. lottery jackpots, Powerball said.
Saturday’s was the second consecutive drawing with a jackpot in excess of $1 billion that produced no winner.
The last Powerball winner claimed $1.787 billion in September. There have been 45 consecutive winnerless drawings since.
Powerball winners have the choice between taking an annual payout, or a lump-sum prize. If someone wins Monday’s drawing, they will have the option of receiving a $1.6 billion annuitized payment, or a $735.5 million one-time prize.
There was no grand prize winner Saturday, but 112 ticket holders claimed a $50,000 payout, and 22 claimed $150,000 each.
Tickets sold in California, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire and Ohio each won $1 million.
A winner of the Double Play drawing in New Jersey claimed a $500,000 prize, Powerball said.
The odds of winning the grand prize jackpot are one in 292.2 million, according to Powerball, though they are better for smaller prizes, which can range to as low as $4. Tickets are $2 each.
Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. EST every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.<\/p>\n