The jackpot for Powerball has hit an astounding estimated $1.73 billion after Monday's draw failed to produce a grand-prize winner. This is the second most substantial sum in the history of the lottery. Notably, this is also the first occurrence in Powerball's history where successive jackpot cycles have both hit the billion-dollar mark.
According to Powerball, Monday's draw turned up the following lucky numbers: 16, 34, 46, 55, 67, and Powerball 14. While there was no recipient of the grand prize, the draw did yield more than 3.7 million winning tickets at lower prize levels. There were several million-dollar winners including a $2 million prize won in Florida, and four $1 million prizes spread across California, Indiana, Oregon, and Virginia.
Should a fortunate ticket holder strike the jackpot, they'll have to make a choice between an annuitized prize value estimated at $1.73 billion or opting for a lump sum payment that's estimated to be around $756.6 million. Both are pre-tax amounts.
You'd have to look back to last July to find the most recent jackpot winner, when a single lucky ticket in California brought home a cool $1.08 billion. This latest $1.73 billion pot is second only to the record-breaking $2.04 billion won in California in November.
As for the odds? Winning any Powerball prize can be expected once in every 24.9 attempts. However, snagging the big jackpot is a much more elusive affair, with odds coming in at a daunting 1 in 292.2 million.
The suspense continues with the next Powerball draw slated for 10:59 p.m. ET this coming Wednesday.
