The Powerball jackpot is expected to climb to an estimated $1.5 billion for Saturday night’s drawing, ranking as the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history. The prize grew after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Wednesday night, extending the lottery’s current winless streak.
The $1.5 billion figure represents the annuity option, paid out over 30 years. The lump-sum cash option—taken by most winners—would be significantly lower, before federal and state taxes. Powerball drawings are held three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, and jackpots grow until at least one ticket matches all five white balls plus the red Powerball.
If won, the jackpot would join a short list of billion-dollar Powerball prizes, reflecting the game’s long odds of 1 in 292.2 million and the surge in ticket sales as jackpots swell.
The winning numbers drawn Wednesday were: 25, 33, 53, 62, 66 and red Powerball 17. This would have yielded a prize amount of $1.25 billion.
According to Powerball, this was the game’s sixth largest prize ever. The largest prize ever was $2.04 billion won on Nov. 7, 2022.
The powerball jackpot was last hit on Sept. 6, by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize. There have been 43 consecutive drawings with no jackpot wins.
If a player had won on Wednesday night, they would have had the choice between annual payments worth an estimated $1.25 billion or an immediate $572.1 million lumpsum payment.
Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The largest ever Powerball prize was a $2.04 billion jackpot won in California in November 2022. This is followed by a $1.765 billion prize claimed in California in October 2023, and a $1.586 billion jackpot split among winners in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016.
Other notable wins include the $1.326 billion Oregon prize, the $1.08 billion California win in July 2023, and prizes ranging from $842.4 million to $754.6 million won across Michigan, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Washington.
The drawing will be held just before 11 p.m. ET in the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.