DES MOINES, Iowa – Was a $ 730 million Powerball jackpot winner, the first to win the biggest prize in recent months.
Thanks to math and bad luck, the lottery players had another hit at a giant jackpot on Wednesday night, with a $ 730 million Powerball prize. The winning ticket was sold in Maryland, pushing the new jackpot to about $ 20 million for Saturday’s next draw.
The Powerball jackpot was the fifth largest in history and came just one day after no one won the Mega Millions and higher prize, which now stands at $ 970 million.
The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball draw were: 40-53-60-68-69 and a Powerball of 22.
It was the first time that both jackpots in the lottery exceeded $ 700 million. The biggest prize was a $ 1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016.
No one had won any of the jackpots since mid-September, allowing the prizes to rise steadily for months. Such a long stretch without a winner is rare, but it also reflects the incredibly low chances of winning – 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.
Maryland lottery spokeswoman Carole Gentry said Tuesday night’s Mega Millions draw had sales of $ 260 million, with 36% of all possible combinations being covered.
The prizes listed are for the winners who choose an annuity option, paid over 30 years. Most of the winners are eligible for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $ 716.3 million and $ 546 million for Wednesday’s Powerball. After winning the Powerball, the new jackpot has a cash value of 15 million dollars.
These awards would also be subject to federal taxes, and most states would also receive a discount.