The Powerball drawing was delayed after one participating lottery needed more time to carry out security procedures.
via: The Hill
Lottery officials announced Tuesday one person matched all the winning numbers to take home the $2.04 billion grand prize.
If the winner opts for the cash payout, they’ll get an estimated $997.6 million lump sum.
The lottery announced the winning ticket — which matched all five numbers plus the Powerball — was sold in California.
Another lucky person in Florida has earned a $2 million cash prize for matching five numbers, plus selecting Power Play.
Twenty-two other people in 16 states have won $1 million. Those winners are found in California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Washington, according to Powerball’s official site.
Only four previous jackpots have topped $1 billion, but none of those are close to the current prize, which started at $20 million back on Aug. 6 and over three winless months has grown ever more massive.
Those who spend $2 on a Powerball ticket might wonder if something is wrong when dozens of drawings pass without a jackpot winner, but this is how the game is designed. With odds of 1 in 292 million, that means it’s unlikely anyone will win the prize until a growing jackpot attracts more players. And more ticket sales mean the lottery can raise more money for public programs, which is the point of the state lotteries.
