DES MOINES, Iowa – There was a jackpot winner in the $ 730 million Powerball, the first to achieve the highest prize in months.
Thanks to math and bad luck, lottery players once again took a chance on a giant jackpot on Wednesday night with a $ 730 million Powerball prize. The winning ticket was sold in Maryland, raising the new jackpot to an estimated $ 20 million for the next draw on Saturday.
The Powerball jackpot was the fifth largest ever, and it comes just a day after no one won the even bigger Mega Millions prize, which now stands at $ 970 million.
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 both lottery jackpots totaled $ 700 million. The biggest prize 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 a long stretch without a winner is rare, but also reflects the incredibly small chance of winning – 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.
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 cost Mega Millions $ 716.3 million and $ 546 million for Wednesday’s Powerball. Following the Powerball victory, the new jackpot has a cash value of $ 15 million.
Prices are also subject to federal taxes, and most states will cut them as well.