The Powerball® jackpot that started rollingin late December has skyrocketed to a whopping $750 million for the Wednesday, March 27 drawing. The cash option is an estimated $465.5 million.
“There are a lot of people imagining what they could do with a $750 million Powerball jackpot this week,” said David Barden, Powerball Product Group Chairman and New Mexico Lottery CEO. “Where else could you win three quarters of a billion dollars for the price of a cup of coffee?”
Wednesday’s advertised jackpot ranks as the fourth largest in U.S. lottery history behind the world record $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot shared by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016, the $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in South Carolina last October, and the $758.7 million Powerball jackpot won in Massachusetts in August 2017.
As the Powerball jackpot enters top-four territory, participating lotteries are reminding players to know their limits.
“Powerball dreams are viral,” said Barden. “It’s easy to get excited about such a life changing jackpot. Just remember, it only takes one $2 ticket for a chance to win. Please, play responsibly and only spend what you can afford.”
The Powerball jackpot was last hit in New York in the December 26 drawing. Since then, there have been 25 drawings in a row without a jackpot winner.
The winning numbers in the Saturday, March 23 drawing were white balls 24, 25, 52, 60, 66, plus Powerball 5, and Power Play multiplier 3X.
Eight tickets matched all five white balls, but missed matching the red Powerball in Saturday’s drawing to win a $1 million prize. The $1 million-winning tickets were sold in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York (2) and South Carolina. Two other tickets, sold in Florida and Wisconsin, matched all five white balls and doubled the prize to $2 million, because the tickets included the Power Play® option for an additional $1. In total, there were more than 3.7 million winning tickets across all prize tiers.
Powerball tickets are $2 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot prizes with the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play. Tickets are sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.
A portion of every Powerball ticket sold directly benefits the jurisdiction in which it was purchased.