Become a half-billionaire!
By Todd Northrop
For the second time in the last 24 hours, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) has raised the official Powerball lottery jackpot estimate for Wednesday's drawing when sales for the mega jackpot have vastly outstripped projections.
The all-important lump-sum cash value of the jackpot has been raised to a staggering $306 million.
The newly-increased annuity and cash value jackpot amounts both remain the 6th-largest ever recorded in United States lottery history. The top-25 annuity and cash value jackpots are listed below.
The Powerball drawing will be contacted Wednesday night at 10:59 pm Eastern Time (7:59 pm Pacific). The mammoth grand prize started at $40 million on Nov. 7, 2015, and is the result of 17 drawings with no jackpot winner.
After the Saturday evening Powerball drawing, when it was determined that there were no jackpot winners, the new jackpot estimate for Wednesday was set at $400 million, with a cash value of $244.8 million. On Tuesday the lotteries raised the jackpot estimate to $450 million when it became clear that sales were outpacing expectations. And now just a day later the lotteries have once again adjusted the jackpot skyward to $500 million.
By the time the drawing occurs tonight, the jackpot may be even further increased. The final jackpot tally will be announced during the live drawing show.
Lottery players seeking to check the winning numbers Wednesday night are urged to use USA Mega (www.usamega.com). State lottery Web sites are normally brought to a standstill during busy periods, while USA Mega normally remains responsive.
Powerball drawing results will be posted immediately after the 10:59 pm drawing at USA Mega. The number of winners and new jackpot will be announced after all participating Powerball states have reported their data, which normally occurs within a couple of hours after the drawing.
Tickets will remain on sale typically until 10:45 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, although players should check with a lottery retailer in their state for the exact sales cutoff time. Players are advised not to wait until the last minute.
The odds of winning the jackpot are approximately 1 in 292 million. The odds of winning any of the Powerball prizes are approximately 1 in 25.
Powerball tickets cost $2 each.
Lottery players can see an after-tax analysis of the current Powerball jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.
Powerball features nine different prize levels, ranging from $4 all the way up to the jackpot. Players can win even if they just match one number — the Powerball number.
All states except California also offer the Power Play option for an extra $1 per ticket purchased. The Power Play multiplies any non-jackpot prizes won by the Power Play number drawn that evening.
Players who purchase the Power Play and win second prize will automatically have their prize increased by 2x to $2 million.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Wednesday's Powerball jackpot currently stands tied for the 6th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States. That position may rise again before the drawing, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.
- 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: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Powerball: $500 million, Jan. 6, 2016 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- 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
- Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005 - California
- Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 25, 2002 - West Virginia
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 6th-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: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- 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: $306 million cash, Jan. 6, 2016 ($500 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- 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
- 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
- Powerball: $197.4 million cash, Sep. 30, 2015 ($310.5 million annuity) - Michigan
- 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
The number of jackpot cash values in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 13
- Mega Millions: 11
- The Big Game: 1
I am not ashamed to admit, I am a little bit scared,"What if I really do win this by myself?". My life will have to change and I will experience culture shock. Going from poor to the uber elite. The one percent life. How much security will my family and I need?
Thankfully here in California, I will be able to decline the press interview and the grip & grin photo.
wow i didnt expect my wish on 450m pot , to keep on rolling, to be answered so soon,... keep on rollin baby
Got my tickets for tonight's drawing.
I agree Music, that is a scary amount to win. For some reason I dont think it will be won tonite but I do have two tickets just in case ..... Let the insomnia begin!
Good Luck everyone!
PB has been on the national news before the jump to $500 million so it may be raised again before the drawing tonite?
Like many people I was not expecting another $50 million increase.
I would be curious to know how much the jackpot will be for Saturday's drawing if no one wins tonight?
Anybody have any idea?
If it is not won tonight it will be up to $725 Million is my guess for Sat...
My guess is 800. I hope it rolls so we can see who's right.
As much as I want to win it and want other people to win it I also want to see it shatter any and all records.
My guess is $755,000,000 on saturday, provided no one wins
If there is a roll over tonight, we could easy see a billion dollars jackpot.
If its not won tonight it will hit 1 billion for next Saturday's draw will all the press attention.
I don't want to see any "glee" posts either from the people that were against the odds moving from 1 in 175 million up to 1 in 192 million. You can't have it both ways. Since moving the odds up was such a rip off according to so many of the posters back when they instituted the change stay consistent and don't buy a ticket now.
As for me i was for an even bigger increase in the odds to 1 in 400 million which i think mega millions will have to do when powerball grabs the first billion pot.
At 1 in 400 million odds you could have 2 jackpot winners a year for about 4 billion a pot.
All we need now is for at least 4 of the 5 white balls #32 or higher to cancel out the "birthday crowd" and we might just get to the that billion pot next Saturday. 5 of 5 big numbers give us a great shot at it.
aught!
Today's the dream day for all JACKPOT ticket buyers BUT, there is always BUTT out there somewhere and that
was Tuesday 1/5/2016 when we were chasing another DREAM and another BIG jackpot. Yes, Psyko was out
there swimming upstream with the many other FISH to promise LAND of MONEY and HONEY'$ and good TIMES!
NO, no one made the swim successfully and all were eaten by the BIG BAD BEARS with the exception of a few
who won low tier prizes again and again and did Psyko say again! Yes, I got a few more 1+1, 2+0, and 2+1 &
ALOTTO 0+0's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LUCK what is IT, think about it NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN NOW"
A rollover to set records. Great idea. If I do not win.
It doesn't need to rollover.... A half billion is perfectly fine with me. Lol!!Heck I'd be pleased with a second place prize of a cool mill too :-).
Good luck everyone!!! I hope someone from LP wins this thing!!! :-)
I'm ready! Show me the money!
Good luck everyone! Winner from LP tonight!!!
08-10-11-14-22 + 07
17-24-30-35-56 + 11
11-24-49-62-69 + 17
15-32-54-61-69 + 20
02-15-32-56-59 + 24
12-36-59-68-69 + 09
03-04-51-57-62 + 04
07-47-58-60-64 + 15
36-38-61-62-67 + 24
06-09-12-14-65 + 06
09-16-37-42-69 + 01
08-14-31-54-65 + 16
02-06-19-54-58 + 06
10-17-22-62-65 + 07
10-23-24-28-67 + 01
08-13-36-49-62 + 22
06-17-28-31-34 + 21
12-24-26-28-29 + 02
39-52-54-57-59 + 01
08-14-27-40-64 + 15
13-21-44-52-59 + 20
09-38-45-46-56 + 10
02-04-28-50-58 + 14
08-18-20-57-63 + 11
01-06-15-27-49 + 06
17-20-21-38-69 + 12
05-45-63-64-67 + 04
17-26-47-58-62 + 16
05-08-34-38-51 + 25
17-23-25-29-49 + 03
23-26-35-51-59 + 13
16-44-55-64-67 + 19
04-39-50-61-63 + 08
14-19-28-43-55 + 20
17-24-26-32-68 + 24
05-29-41-58-68 + 08
11-21-46-56-65 + 23
04-37-46-60-63 + 11
14-28-32-35-52 + 22
11-18-51-59-65 + 13
23-44-45-53-55 + 08
02-17-22-27-31 + 15
05-51-62-64-67 + 21
04-12-26-48-59 + 20
04-07-37-51-68 + 05
02-22-24-38-44 + 15
23-27-35-38-43 + 04
01-41-49-56-61 + 15
16-32-36-45-53 + 16
16-37-41-55-69 + 13
GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY.
I hope it rolls one more time before one winning jackpot steps forward.
Definately see the ticket buying frenzy. Wasn't a line per se, but there were 5 folks buying tix at my local circle k. Definately an abnormality for this time of day.
Based on ticket sales the estimated jackpot when up $170 million. How many tickets does it take to get that kind of increase?
The Texas Lottery says that if nobody hits tonight it will initially go to $675 million. I can't imagine it not going higher than that by draw time.
The jackpot is going to Pluto! Whoo-hoo!!
Come on California- come on Baby. Show the way to the winner's circle. You always do: we counting on you to come through.Do it because you CAN.
End this tonight!
Well this escalated quickly.
Escalation is a good thing especially when it involves money that could be coming to you. .
Or it could end on a whimper with the actual payout falling short, such as $490 million. It already happened once before back in 2013. MUSL advertised $600 million, but the actual payout to the Florida winner was less at ~$590 million. From all indications, the $500 million estimate is probably more solid, but don't bet the ranch on it. MUSL doesn't honor its estimates. In contrast, many state lotteries will payout the advertised amount, regardless of actual sales, for their in-state games.
There will appear to be two winners tonight but it will be one person who played the same numbers twice, for whatever reason.
So can we all agree that winning a $500 million annuity makes someone a half-billionaire? Yes or no?
In case I do win I'm changing my whole indenity and getting plenty of plastic surgery.
come on rollover
$500 Million I got my tickets
Nope. That's like saying if I'm working for $50K per year, then I'm a millionaire. It'll take 20 years of working, but you will have earned a million. No way you're a millionaire though.
Eh, I'd still happily take the million dollar second prize and quietly disappear into the night.
Good-golly-miss-Molly! I just spent $100 on tickets and now it's increased to $500M! There was a long line of buyers and it took me about 40 minutes standing in line before I was able to get mine. If no one wins tonight I am certain it will reach the billion mark for Saturday. My husband and I have agreed to spend $500 on tickets if it does rollover. With all those zeros we may have to buy walkers to minimize getting dizzy and falling over.....ha....
Gee, I blew $18 bucks on tickets and thought it was excessive.
Good luck to you, tho.
Car wish list
Ferrari 355 Berlinetta
Porsche GT3
Lamborghini Diablo Old School Bull
Aston Martin DB7
BMW Z8
Shelby Mustang GT350
1967 427 Corvette Stingray
1963 Corvette Spilt Window
Now I need a storage building to fit 8 cars.... :-(
Found a lottery machine that dispenses all the games including scratch offs, a.k.a "refrigerators" in a chain drug store.
Must have been dinner time because there were few people in the store at 4:50 PM and no line at the machine.
If a lottery pool wins won't be surprised if there will be difficulties that arise, as is often seen in the past.
Anyone have any idea how many lottery pools were formed for this drawings?
How many pool organizer's provide its members with a a copy of the pool tickets before the drawing?
We should have a winner somewhere with all the tickets being sold but if there is no winner tonight, it will be another week
of Power Ball Craze in the Media.
Good Luck LP Players
Man, I hope somebody win dis mufugga t'night, 'n' shee.
I'm sick of sein nobody win dis mufugga.
Da jackpot go up, but atda same time, so do da splits.
(please pardon the use of jive talk. I get that way, when I get frustrated, following the lotto, draw after draw after draw after draw)
I promise you, I will be the one rolling over in their sleep,
if no one hits this thing. It's too high for anyone's good, as it is.
Think of the splits.
Right now, Amma setting inside, wif all my lotto tickets, jessa waiting, and waiting, watchin' all kindsa shows, and not even be payin' attenshn, ma mind is focused on dat doggone lotto.
Please, if you win it all, could you see your way to giving me .5 million. Das all I need. And I'm going to stop playin'.
(no party happening here)
i want it to rollover because then that would be big news for the next few days, the press, the attention, and a possible 1 billion dollar jackpot, it'll make things more interesting for a while rather than the same old news but good luck to all.
Ha Ha... I wagered $3 less than you and thought the same thing...
Let "the whales" bet away... I'm just krill in this betting pool
Yes, good luck to you, as well.
But when it turned 300 million, that's all the big news I needed.
Sales are on fire (over $100 million in excess of my estimate), cash starting at around $413 million if no winner tonight.
Believe it or not, ~60% chance no winner. 100% chance I am not participating tonight. LOL
No way it goes to 1 billion like so many says. If rolls over tonight, then likely 650-700MM on saturday.
That's nuts... 60%
What the chance (typically) when the jackpot is a measly 40 or 50 million... I'm surprised at how often it gets hit then
I actually have 2 lottery pools I run at the office when the cash option reaches $100m. One is entire office, the other just our group (supervisor & 4 reports). For the bigger pool, we have 19 regulars and two irregular players out of about 30. We have 4 who never play for religious or other reasons and they are excluded from the email I send out before each drawing. I give a minimum 24 hours, use the same wording each time saying it is up to you to join & what the deadlines are. I also keep a bank for those who want to 'prepay' & several who work from home. I also give everyone's bank balance, and note who is short in the bank for that drawing. I don't float anyone. Tickets are bought prior to noon on draw day, and everyone who played gets copies via email before 3 in the afternoon with the same wording stating how many players, cash option, split evenly (no one can contribute more than 1 'share'), and winnings of less than $1 per member are rolled. When we have winnings to roll over, only those players have those tickets and a new pool is formed in case any of the irregular players want to join.
We have 2 retirees and for now, one on medical leave. Those 3 have been regulars for years, so others tend to cover them if they don't have enough 'banked'. We also have one former regular who is going through a very nasty divorce who emailed me to drop her from any lottery pool correspondence because of the divorce. I've kept that email for backup.
I was actually surprised our two irregulars didn't join. I asked one (tax guy), he laughed at me. I told he was out officially for that drawing. The other didn't have cash and said maybe next drawing.
It's fun, and I kind of enjoy doing it. Mostly, I'd love to have that skype call to the corp office in Stamford when we tell them they need to start posting job openings.
And yes, I do play my own tickets, but I never buy them at the same time as the pools.
News Channel 5 in Cleveland said that if there is no winner in this drawing, it can be more than $675 million.
Let the game begin. Could be tonight, because you never just don't know.
Good Fortune to all that played tonight!
It could be $600M by the time of the drawing. If it rolls on after tonight it would start in the $700M range but could approach a billion by Saturday night.
I don't think it will be a billion Saturday. That would require them to sell about $1.24 billion in tickets for tonight and Saturday night.
You have fantastic taste in cars, we can be best friends. You are going have up that to at least 10 cars, I can't believe you forgot the 427 Cobra and the Eleanor Mustang.
I'll give you those two if I win... :)
Oh and we can't forget a Venom Viper :)
Got 1 QP and 1 my own numbers...
So.... make that $500,000,004? lol
Reaching a billion in one more draw is possible, but not likely. Even if it tops out at 550 tonight that's an increase of 450, which is 50% more than we've ever seen before, and that was almost 4 years ago. I'd guess 800+, and wouldn't be hugely surprised if it got to 900, but I wouldn't expect a billion.
As for how many tickets, they need another $306 million in cash if tonight ends at an even $500. At 68 cents from each ticket that's 450 million tickets. Depending on the reserve fund it might take a bit more, but not even close to 1.2 billion (including the 170 million or so for the current roll).
FWIW, the record jump of almost $300 million for the MM record jackpot took sales of 651 million tickets, but that was at only $1 each. I'm guessing that the people who would spend $100, $200, or $500 on $1 MM tickets will spend the same amount and only buy half as many $2 PB tickets.
With the minimum jackpot, there's about a 5% chance of a winner.
nice job you must have if you can devote all that time and energy to running and keeping all that straight. if the impossible ever happens there will be issues and lawsuits for sure from anyone who got left out that week.
ME TOO!!! As much as I would love to win it tonight (and wouldn't even mind splitting it at this point), I do want to see how far it will go because it has been one of the wackiest jackpots already. It's a JP that decreased in sales at the $300M mark and now it's jumped $100M between draws at the $400M mark. Plus, the CV is outstanding. A wacky and fantastic JP run deserves a one of a kind ending.
Final probabilities for numbers of winners, assuming $316M in sales, utilizing a Poisson distribution and assuming randomization:
The expectation value, pre-tax, is 0.63.
That's the crazy thing. I stopped at two different places that usually have lines when the JP is big, and there was no one. Not at the machines, not at the register, everyone was just doing their own thing and didn't seem to care at all about the lottery. It was lunch time and a lot of people were milling about, just not buying tickets.
I remember right before Gloria won, I couldn't go anywhere without hearing people talking about it. Check out lines, restaurants, the office, there as a lot of hoopla. It's been pretty much radio silence and less craziness this time, at least where I live. So you saying there was no line at the machine where you are seems in keeping with what I've seen too.
Only if we were in Britain. Even if we didn't have to wait decades to get the whole thing, there's still a big chunk of money going to taxes that the winner will never see, so not half billionaire yet. If it rolls to next Wednesday, then yes.
The annuity jackpot for Saturdays drawing ended up being 355.8 mil with a cash value showing 218.4 mil. The cash value right now is showing 306 mil. I think 34% of sales go to the jackpot. This would be about 88 mil higher which would take around 260 mil in sales to increase this much. I might be wrong in how i figured this and if so someone out might point it out.
Todd i agree that if nobody hits it tonight and it ends up at 500 m 675 m would be a very low number for it to initially go to. I think it would be close to the 725-750 amount
I'll guess a 660 start if it rolls.
I'll guess a $750M starting, then over a billion by Sat draw time.
Cha-ching....
$535.2M annuity at last estimate.......
The official jackpot tally for this drawing was $524.1 million.
I bought 2 lines for my sister with PowerPlay.
All she had was the Powerball (17) .
Whatever that's worth?
Good Luck.
Would be great if it reached a billion but it's unlikely, will probably peak around the 750M mark as mentioned (and if no one won tonight's draw).
OK all....to the best of my knowledge....NO WINNER!
15 second place winners (1 PowerPlay)
*Of course, nothing official until MUSL posts the next jackpot....but not gonna wait, off to bed and will probably play Saturday :)
Looks like no winner tonight
No winner tonight.
The jackpot for Saturday is a world record $675 million -- and surely much bigger than that by draw time!
You know the lotteries are all smiles. LOL
Will easily be 800 million by draw time. i guarantee it
How do you guys know there isn't a winner tonight? Where do you guys check at?
I don't know how Todd checks but MUSL has a data feed that goes to all the lottery vendors. The number of winners gets posted in advance of the jackpot being updated....usually 15 minutes before but sometimes sooner. The lotteries won't post these figures until the jackpot is made official