The Powerball lottery jackpot continues to climb after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Wednesday night. With no winner, the top prize has jumped to an estimated $800 million for the next drawing on Saturday, December 31 – making it the second largest Powerball jackpot ever.
Winning Numbers Drawn, But No Jackpot Winner
The winning numbers drawn on December 28, 2022 were: 2, 11, 22, 35, 60 and the red Powerball 23.
While over 5 million tickets won prizes ranging from $4 to $2 million, the $685 million jackpot eluded players once again. The next drawing’s grand prize is now the fifth largest in U.S. lottery history at an estimated $800 million with a lump sum payout option of $408 million.
Table: December 28 Winning Numbers & Jackpot Size
| Winning Numbers | Powerball Number | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 23 | $800 million |
| 11 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 35 | ||
| 60 |
The jackpot has slowly grown over a period of more than three months after the Powerball game began its current run on August 6. The numbers were last hit on November 19, 2022 by a single ticket in Kansas that won a $92.9 million prize. Since then, 40 consecutive drawings have passed without anyone matching all six numbers.
$2M Winning Tickets in Multiple States
While no one took home the enormous jackpot, sixteen tickets matched all five white balls for $1 million prizes. Only two of those winners also had the Power Play option, which boosted their winnings to $2 million each. Those tickets were sold in Ohio and Texas.
An additional eighteen players won $50,000 each after matching four white balls plus the Powerball number. Seven of those bought Power Play to raise their prizes to $100,000.
Over 5.4 million other tickets won cash amounts ranging from $4 up to $50,000. Prizes can be claimed in each of the 45 participating lottery jurisdictions. Winners of significant jackpots often elect to take the lump sum payment, as it provides more flexibility despite an immediate large tax bill.
Hype Builds Heading Into Final 2023 Drawing
Lottery fever has spread across the country in anticipation of the upcoming mammoth drawing on New Year’s Eve. Huge jackpots often drive a surge in ticket sales, which funds public programs in each state.
The odds of winning the Powerball grand prize are incredibly tiny at just 1 in 292.2 million. That has not dampened the hopes of millions who continue trying their luck for a life-changing windfall.
Table: Powerball Odds By Prize Level
| Prize Level | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|
| Match 5 + Powerball | 1 in 292 million |
| Match 5 (no Powerball) | 1 in 11 million |
| Match 4 + Powerball | 1 in 913,000 |
| Match 4 (no Powerball) | 1 in 36,000 |
| Match 3 + Powerball | 1 in 14,000 |
| Match 3 (no Powerball) | 1 in 580 |
| Match 2 + Powerball | 1 in 701 |
| Match 1 + Powerball | 1 in 92 |
| Match 0 + Powerball | 1 in 38 |
Many players seem to ignore the terrible odds, lured in by dreams of how they might spend such a monumental amount of cash. Even splitting the prize with other winners can produce immense fortunes capable of radically transforming lives.
Jackpot Rollover Streak Ties for 6th Longest Ever
The number of drawings without a Powerball grand prize winner now stands at 41, tying the game’s sixth longest jackpot roll streak. That ties a run from March 2019 when a winner in Wisconsin finally claimed a world record $768.4 million prize.
Only five longer streaks have occurred in Powerball’s 30-year history:
- June 2021 – 36 drawings – $285.6 million won in Florida
- May 2021 – 35 drawings – $286 million won in Florida
- March 2021 – 34 drawings – $238 million won in Florida
- October 2018 – 34 drawings – $687.8 million won in Iowa/New York
- March 2018 – 25 drawings – $456 million won in Pennsylvania
If the jackpot continues to avoid winners through Saturday’s grand finale drawing, the run would stand alone at 42 in a row. But almost every statistic favors someone finally getting lucky in the New Year’s Eve lottery.
Either way, excitement will peak with a guaranteed minimum $800 million prize on the line. That number may tick even higher before sales cut off an hour or so before Saturday’s live drawing.
What Would You Do With $800 Million?
An eye-popping $800 million creates amazing possibilities for the lucky ticket holder. While about 39% would go towards federal taxes and possibly state taxes, over $400 million would still be left.
Most financial experts recommend establishing trusts and selecting lump sum payments to maintain maximum flexibility. But there would still be plenty of cash to spend.
Table: Annual Spending Possibilities for $800M Powerball Winners
| Purchase | Annual Budget |
|---|---|
| Luxury Homes | $10 million |
| Exotic Supercars | $2 million |
| Round World Cruise | $500,000 |
| Personal Shopping | $1 million |
| Private Jets | $5 million |
| Charitable Gifts | $10 million |
| Friends & Family | $10 million |
| TOTAL BUDGET | $38.5 million |
Even spending nearly $40 million per year, Powerball winners would have enough money to splurge for decades. And they could grow remaining funds through investments, enjoying even larger windfalls down the road.
While collecting such astonishing lottery fortunes seems almost impossible, usually several players per year beat the extreme odds. Saturday night may produce Powerball’s next multimillionaire.
Will Anyone Win Saturday’s Monster Jackpot?
Lottery dreams will hit peak fervor leading up to the final Powerball drawing of calendar year 2023. A guaranteed $800 million prize, with perhaps even more added, will be on the line.
It would be the second largest payout behind only the record $1.586 billion that three Powerball ticket holders split back in January 2016. The question now is whether one or more players can finally match all six numbers after 41 straight rollovers.
Based on long term averages, there is around a 63 percent probability that someone will claim victory after the next white balls and red Powerball emerge. That would end the streak and reset jackpot funds to the base $20 million amount for the following draw.
Of course with nearly 300 million possible combinations, a winner is never assured. It’s certain to be an exciting finish no matter what happens Saturday night. Every hopeful $2 ticket buyer wants 2023 to end with the most wonderful dream come true.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
