The second-biggest lottery prize in U.S. history was on the line Wednesday night, as the Powerball drawing had a $1.73 billion jackpot.
The winning numbers were 22-24-40-52-64, with the Powerball being 10.
Powerball expanded to three nights a week in 2021, adding a Monday drawing to its Wednesday and Saturday games. Powerball said that the extra drawing would lead to “larger, faster-growing jackpots.”
The current run is the ninth time that Powerball or Mega Millions has had a jackpot that reached into the billion-with-a-“b” territory.
The record U.S. lottery prize is a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California last November. There have been 35 consecutive Powerball drawings since the last jackpot winner on July 19.
If taken in a single lump sum, as most recent big lottery winners have chosen to do, Wednesday’s $1.73 billion prize would be worth $757 million. The larger, advertised amount is what the other option — a 29-year annuity — would be worth over its lifetime.
Federal taxes would quickly take almost 40% of that amount, with state taxes a possibility on top of that.
The $2 Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The five states on the outside are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
The odds of a winning Powerball ticket are 1 in 292.2 million.
