The Powerball jackpot has gradually grown over the past couple months to a whopping $638 million in time for the next drawing on Christmas night. With no big winner from the last drawing on December 21st, lottery officials expect a surge of ticket sales ahead of the holiday drawing that could send the top prize even higher.
Jackpot Rolls Over Again with no Big Winner
The Powerball jackpot rolled over again last Wednesday when no ticket matched all six numbers drawn. The winning numbers for that drawing were 2, 11, 22, 35, 60, and the red Powerball 23. While nobody hit the jackpot, over a million players won smaller prizes totalling $13.5 million.
The lack of an overall winner allowed the jackpot to grow to an estimated $620 million by the time of Saturday’s drawing on December 23rd. Lottery officials reported brisk ticket sales ahead of the weekend matchup, with players hoping holiday luck would bring an early Christmas gift. However, the winning numbers 4, 19, 33, 36, 52 and red Powerball 19 failed to produce a jackpot winner once again.
| Draw Date | Jackpot | Winning Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| December 21 | $575 million | 2, 11, 22, 35, 60, PB: 23 |
| December 23 | $620 million | 4, 19, 33, 36, 52, PB: 19 |
The Christmas Day drawing now presents lottery lovers with a $638 million top prize, a mouth-watering figure that almost anyone would love to find in their stocking. Lottery officials are preparing for another surge of last minute ticket purchases from players inspired by the holiday spirit and boosted jackpot.
Beating the Odds for Christmas
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot stand at a daunting 1 in 292 million. For perspective, a player is actually more likely to be struck by lightning in their lifetime. However, someone has to eventually hit the lucky combination, and this Christmas the payoff could make for a very merry holiday.
Lottery officials estimate that a single winner who opts for the cash lump sum would take home $360 million after taxes. That sort of instant windfall could provide financial freedom beyond imagination. As always with such enormous prizes, the lottery commission advises winners to avoid rushing into extravagant purchases straight away, and to first secure trusted legal advice on how to safely invest their newfound riches.
Even if nobody hits the full six numbers in the Christmas night drawing, millions of smaller prizes ranging from $7 up to $2 million are likely to get claimed. With so many more tickets in play whenever the top prize rolls over, state lotteries are still expecting a major holiday boost to education and infrastructure funds. Over $100 million in unclaimed expired prizes will also roll back into state programs.
As the big night approaches, lottery players are weighing their long-shot odds against dreams of a future without money worries. $1, $2, or $10 at a time, they’ll continue placing their hopeful bets. And whether or not a single lucky ticket unwraps the Christmas mega jackpot this year, imagination of that life-changing possibility fuels the excitement.
What Happens Next if the Jackpot Keeps Rolling?
If there is no mega jackpot winner from the Christmas night Powerball drawing, lottery officials expect the top prize to keep rolling over and rising. Excitement has continued building over recent drawings without a top winner, so without a holiday payout even more players are likely to try their luck at Powerball’s improving odds.
Brisk sales would push the jackpot higher for the next drawing on Wednesday December 27th. Some projections estimate it could swell over $700 million if enough tickets continue getting purchased across all participating states. Powerball would then be flirting with some historic top prize territory.
Back in 2016, the game’s record $1.586 billion jackpot captivated headlines for months as it gradually grew through numerous rollovers then finally got claimed. Lesser but still monumental Powerball jackpots over $700 million have also built up and dropped in the past several years, instantly creating millionaire winners. Lottery officials and players alike now wonder if growing holiday sales might propel the current big prize toward another shot at such dizzying figures before someone finally hits the lucky combination.
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