Increase the Powerball prize pool to $ 550 million

Treasury Department Deputy Secretary of Lotteries for Puerto Rico Lorna Huertas announced that tonight’s Powerball draw increased to $ 550 million, becoming the ninth largest prize in its history.

“I urge the public to participate in this millionaire raffle and see the possibility of another winner being in Puerto Rico. For us at the Electronic Lottery, it is vital to promote our market share in a millionaire draw like this, as we are the only Latin jurisdiction that is part of Powerball. In addition to generating hundreds of winners on the island after each draw, it is a collection window that allows us to contribute to the economic and social development of Puerto Rico, ”said the Deputy Secretary of Lotteries.

For her part, the assistant director of the Electronic Lottery, Karen Soto, emphasized this selling Powerball parts locally generates about $ 4.4 million a year in commission revenue between merchants authorized to sell Electronic Lottery. “Both Powerball and the other products we offer generate not only a sales commission to the local merchant, but also customer traffic to their business, especially when the jackpot increases to the levels we see in the first weeks of the year. That’s why it’s so important to support local companies by making electronic lottery pieces, “said Soto.

Officials commented that tonight’s draw is also special, as the date – Wednesday, January 13 – marks the fifth anniversary of the $ 1.586 billion biggest Powerball prize, won on the 13th. January 2016.

“If there is a $ 550 million prize winner in Puerto Rico, we will wait for him at our offices tomorrow to pay his prize. This can be collected in a single payment or in 30-year annuities with payments ranging from $ 8 million to $ 30 million, ”Soto added.

Puerto Rico already has several Powerball winners, one of them in February 2015, who was sold to Ponce Shell by Coto Laurel. This prize of $ 564.1 it was shared with two other winners from North Carolina and Texas and was the first Powerball prize sold outside the continental United States. The other prize that fell on the island was $ 50 million in April of that year and was sold in Sabana Grande.