DES MOINES, Iowa – There was a $ 730 million Powerball jackpot winner, the first to receive the top prize in months.
Thanks to math and bad luck, the lottery players had another chance at a giant jackpot on Wednesday night with a $ 730 million Powerball prize at stake. The winning ticket was sold in Maryland, bringing the new jackpot to around $ 20 million for the next draw on Saturday.
The Powerball jackpot was the fifth largest ever and came just a day after no one won the even bigger Mega Millions prize pool, which now stands at $ 970 million.
The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball draw were: 40-53-60-68-69 and a Powerball of 22.
It was the first time that the two lottery prizes reached $ 700 million. The biggest prize was a $ 1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016.
No one had won any of the jackpots since mid-September, allowing the prizes to increase continuously for months. Such a long period without a winner is rare, but it also reflects the incredibly small chances of winning – 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.
Maryland lottery spokeswoman Carole Gentry said the Mega Millions draw on Tuesday night recorded sales of $ 260 million, resulting in 36% of all possible number combinations being covered.
The listed prizes are for winners who choose an annuity option, paid over 30 years. Most winners opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $ 716.3 million and $ 546 million for Wednesday’s Powerball. After Powerball’s victory, the new jackpot has a cash value of $ 15 million.
These premiums would also be subject to federal taxes, and most states would accept a cut as well.