Largest Powerball jackpot in a year; 12th-largest cash value in US lottery history
By Todd Northrop
Big multi-state lottery jackpots may have been missing somewhat in 2014, but just a month into 2015 lottery players are already seeing a second massive grand prize looming.
The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday, February 4, 2015, now stands at $317 million — the largest jackpot for the game in nearly a year. The last time a Powerball jackpot was this large was on Feb. 19, 2014, when a Star Wars fan from California purchased the sole winning ticket for a $425.3 million Powerball jackpot. (See Sole winner of $425M February Powerball jackpot claims prize, Lottery Post, Apr. 2, 2014.)
Just a couple of weeks ago the other huge multi-state lottery game, Mega Millions, featured a $270 million grand prize that was won by a single ticket sold in Illinois. (See $270 million Mega Millions jackpot won in Illinois, Lottery Post, Jan. 18, 2015.) The prize has not been claimed yet.
Still, it's taking a good number of rollovers before the multi-state jackpots are getting into the range where even casual lottery players run out for tickets. The Powerball jackpot has rolled over 18 times from its starting point of $40 million before reaching Wednesday's level of $317 million.
Wednesday's estimated annuity payout stands as the 22nd-largest US lottery jackpot of all time. But the cash value is a different story.
The lump-sum cash payout value of Wednesday's Powerball jackpot is a whopping $220.6 million, putting it at number 12 on the all-time US lottery cash value list. After-tax cash and annuity prize amounts are reported state-by-state on the Jackpot Analysis page at USA Mega, a web site devoted to the Powerball and Mega Millions multi-state lottery games.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.
The winning numbers for Saturday, January 31, 2015 were 5, 11, 16, 26, and 50, with Powerball number 34. The Power Play number was 2.
Even though nobody won the jackpot Saturday, 8 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from California, 2 from Florida, 2 from Kentucky, 1 from New York, 1 from North Dakota, and 1 from Wisconsin.
The California second-prize winner will be awarded $1,430,588, because California does not award fixed prizes. By law, California awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level. Because there was only one second-prize winner in California, that one ticket will take home the entire pool of money allocated for second prize.
None of the second-prize tickets was purchased with the Power Play option. If a second-prize ticket were purchased with the Power Play option, the prize would automatically be doubled to $2 million. Power Play is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered in Power Play is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts.
52 tickets matched four white numbers plus the Powerball and won $10,000. Of those tickets, 7 were purchased with the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $20,000, and 2 of the tickets were sold in California, where the prize was worth a fantastic $30,821 this drawing.
Following the Saturday drawing, the Powerball annuity jackpot estimate was raised $28 million from its previous amount of $289 million. The cash value was raised by $22.2 million from its previous amount of $198.4 million.
The next Powerball drawing will take place Wednesday night at 10:59 pm Eastern Time.
When a Powerball ticket is purchased with the Power Play option for an extra $1 per ticket, any non-jackpot prize is increased according to a fixed prize schedule, which can be found on the Powerball Drawing Detail page at USA Mega, as well as on the Powerball Prize Payouts page at Lottery Post.
Powerball is now played in 44 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Wednesday's Powerball jackpot currently stands as the 22nd-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States. That position may rise before the drawing Wednesday night, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.
If nobody wins Wednesday, it's anyone's guess how high it will go.
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 - California
- Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
- Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
- The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
- Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
- Powerball: $338.3 million, Mar. 23, 2013 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $337 million, Aug. 15, 2012 - Michigan
- Powerball: $336.4 million, Feb. 11, 2012 - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
- The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007 - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Mega Millions: $326 million, Nov. 4, 2014 - New York
- Mega Millions: $319 million, Mar. 25, 2011 - New York
- Powerball: $317 million, Feb. 4, 2015 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005 - California
- Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 25, 2002 - West Virgina
- Powerball: $314.3 million, Aug. 25, 2007 - Indiana
For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 13
- Mega Millions: 10
- The Big Game: 2
The Big Game is the original name of Mega Millions, from the game's first drawing on Sep. 6, 1996 through May 14, 2002. The name was changed to Mega Millions starting with the May 17, 2002 drawing.
Top 25 cash value jackpots
Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.
Looking at the cash value, the upcoming Powerball jackpot ranks as the 12th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
- Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($648 million annuity) - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
- Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
- Powerball: $220.6 million cash, Feb. 4, 2015 ($317 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Mega Millions: $214 million cash, Aug. 28, 2009 ($336 million annuity) - California, New York
- Powerball: $211 million cash, Mar. 23, 2013 ($338.3 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $210 million cash, Feb. 11, 2012 ($336.4 million annuity) - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $202.9 million cash, Mar. 25, 2011 ($319 million annuity) - New York
- Mega Millions: $197.5 million cash, Nov. 4, 2014 ($326 million annuity) - New York
- Mega Millions: $194.4 million cash, Aug. 31, 2007 ($330 million annuity) - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Mega Millions: $185 million cash, Nov. 15, 2005 ($315 million annuity) - California
- The Big Game: $180 million cash, May 9, 2000 ($363 million annuity) - Illinois, Michigan
- Mega Millions: $177.3 million cash, Jan. 16, 2015 ($270 million annuity) - Illinois
- Powerball: $177.3 million cash, Feb. 18, 2006 ($365 million annuity) - Nebraska
- Powerball: $170.5 million cash, Dec. 25, 2002 ($314.9 million annuity) - West Virginia
- Mega Millions: $168 million cash, July 2, 2004 ($294 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $167.7 million cash, Feb. 22, 2008 ($275 million annuity) - Georgia
The number of jackpot cash values in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Mega Millions: 13
- Powerball: 11
- The Big Game: 1
I might be tempted to buy a ticket for this draw, anyone think it's going to roll again ?
I got my tickets. Good luck everyone.
should be a most curious drawing this Wednesday......... but time will spin a most curious yarn
personally I hope it keeps rolling till April
317M$A or 220M$C? I would take the cash - but depending on the day, I would opt for the annuity - more options for starting fresh each year. What lovely problems to have! Already in the top 25! Good luck everyone!
Just 2 more days
I bought one ticket today. Good luck everyone.
I splurged and got two lines for the next drawing.
If I don't win it, I hope someone else in here does. Well, maybe "some" of the someone else.
I'm predicting at least 10 (1 million dollar) 2nd place winners for the next drawing.
Good luck everyone! That's a lot of money.
I have one ticket for myself and 3 tickets in my office lottery pool which if won, will be shared amongst 11 people. $14million after taxes still isn't too bad.
Kudos to the Chief{Todd}. He is the King of Stats. I am pleasantly surprised about the cash value ranking of #12. I already got my 5 lines with powerplay{self pick} and 2 lines with powerplay {quick pick}. I hate to be the guy who waited till the last minute and then turn around and whine about it. I'll buy more if necessary. Happy jackpot hunting to everybody!!!
Good luck to everybody!
I will get two QP's on Wednesday. No big expectations but hoping Lady Luck will one day bless me.
After the blizzards we got the last 2 weeks I'm ready for some good news.