One lucky player could walk away with the second largest Powerball jackpot ever this Wednesday, with an eye-watering $1.73 billion up for grabs. This spectacular jackpot comes after multiple consecutive weeks without a jackpot winner, causing the prize amount to skyrocket.
Should a fortunate player hit all six numbers in Wednesday's draw, they will be forced to make a tricky choice. They could opt for an annuitized prize, valued at a dizzying $1.73 billion, or instead choose a lump sum payment, predicted to be approximately $756.6 million. Both prizes are before taxes, according to the Powerball website.
Notably, should someone nab this massive prize, it would signify the second largest jackpot in US lottery history. The only jackpot to top it was the astonishing $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, which one lucky California resident claimed in November 2022. Since that astonishing win, there hasn't been a Powerball jackpot winner since July 19.
Despite the lack of jackpots, numerous participants have still reaped substantial prizes from recent drawings. In the Monday night drawing, four fortunate folks from California, Indiana, Oregon, and Virginia snagged $1 million each when they successfully matched all five white balls. In addition to these lucky winners, one Floridian matched five numbers and used the “Power Play” feature to double their reward, claiming a $2 million prize.
This Wednesday's drawing will be the 36th in the current Powerball cycle, marking an unprecedented occasion in the game's history. This is the first instance where the game has featured billion-dollar jackpots in two consecutive cycles. However, hopefuls should bear in mind the odds. The chance of winning any prize stands at 1 in 24.9, but the odds of striking it rich with the jackpot are considerably higher, at a staggering 1 in 292.2 million, as per Powerball.
