DES MOINES, Iowa – Powerball players will get another chance Monday at a jackpot estimated at over $1 billion, after no one won the big prize Saturday night.
No one has matched all six numbers since May 31, allowing the jackpot to swell to $1.1 billion, which would be the fifth-largest prize in the game’s history. Payments would be spread over 30 years, or a winner could choose an immediate lump sum of an estimated $498.4 million, again before taxes.
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Although no one hit the big prize, Virginia still had some lucky winners. More than 128,000 tickets won something Saturday, including three worth $50,000 each. The winning tickets were bought at a Publix in Henrico, a Kroger in North Chesterfield, and a 7-Eleven in Portsmouth. All Virginia Lottery profits support K-12 education, bringing in more than $900 million last year alone.
The odds of matching all six numbers are astronomical: 1 in 292.2 million. The likelihood of getting struck by lightning is far greater. But with so many people putting down money for a chance at life-changing wealth, someone eventually wins.
The numbers drawn Saturday were 3, 18, 22, 27 and 33, with the Powerball 17.
Powerball, which costs $2 per ticket, is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held each week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights.