There is a winning ticket for the $ 730 million Powerball jackpot, the first to achieve the highest prize in months. The lucky ticket for the draw on Wednesday night was sold in Maryland, lottery officials said.
CBS Baltimore reports that it was sold in Allegany County.
It was the fourth largest jackpot in Powerball history and the fifth largest in American lottery history.
It came after that nobody won the ever-growing Mega Millions Award Tuesday night. The one now stands at an estimated $ 970 million for the next drawing, Friday night.
The winning numbers for the Powerball draw on Wednesday night were: 40-53-60-68-69 and a Powerball of 22.
It was the first time that both lottery jackpots amounted to $ 700 million at the same time. The biggest prize ever was a $ 1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016.
No one has won one of the jackpots since mid-September, which has seen prices grow for months.
Such long stretches without winners are rare, but also reflect the incredibly small chance of winning – 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.
Wednesday’s draw was the 36th in the Powerball run that started on September 19, 2020 – the longest jackpot in Powerball history.
Maryland Lottery spokeswoman Carole Gentry said the Mega Millions survey reached $ 260 million in sales Tuesday night, resulting in 36% of all possible number combinations being covered.
The prices listed are for winners who choose an annuity option that is paid over 30 years. Most winners opted for cash prizes, which would total $ 546.8 million for Wednesday’s Powerball and $ 716.3 million for the next Mega Millions draw.
Prices are also subject to federal tax. Most states also take a cut.
Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands. Powerball is also offered in Puerto Rico.
The jackpot for the next Powerball draw, Saturday, is estimated at $ 20 million, with a cash value of $ 15 million.
Look at the ten largest American jackpots won and the states where the winning tickets were sold:
$ 1.586 billion, Powerball, January 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)
2. $ 1.537 billion, Mega Millions, October 23, 2018 (one ticket, South Carolina)
$ 768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019 (one ticket, Wisconsin)
$ 758.7 million, Powerball, August 23, 2017 (one ticket, from Massachusetts)
5. $ 731.1 million, Powerball, January 20, 2021 (one ticket, from Maryland)
6. $ 687.8 million, Powerball, October 27, 2018 (two tickets from Iowa and New York)
7. $ 656 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets, from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)
$ 648 million, Mega Millions, December 17, 2013 (two tickets, from California and Georgia)
9. $ 590.5 million, Powerball, May 18, 2013 (one ticket, from Florida)
10. $ 587.5 million, Powerball, November 28, 2012 (two tickets, from Arizona and Missouri)