$731 million Powerball jackpot has one winning ticket, with Mega Millions grand prize at $970 million
There's a winning ticket for the $730 million Powerball jackpot, the first to get the top prize in months. The lucky ticket for Wednesday night's drawing was sold in Maryland, lottery officials said.
CBS Baltimore reports it was sold in Allegany County.
It was the fourth largest jackpot in Powerball history and fifth largest in U.S. lottery history.
It came after nobody won the still-growing Mega Millions prize Tuesday night. That one now stands at an estimated $970 million for the next drawing, on Friday night.
Winning numbers for Wednesday night's Powerball drawing were: 40-53-60-68-69 and a Powerball of 22.
It was the first time both lottery jackpots topped $700 million simultaneously. The biggest prize ever was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016.
No one had won either of the jackpots since mid-September, enabling the prizes to grow steadily for months.
Such long stretches without winners are rare but also reflect the incredibly small odds of winning — 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.
Wednesday's drawing was the 36th in the Powerball run that started back on September 19, 2020 — the longest jackpot run in Powerball history.
Maryland lottery spokeswoman Carole Gentry said Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing saw $260 million in sales, resulting in 36% of all possible number combinations being covered.
The prizes listed are for winners who choose an annuity option, paid over 30 years. Most winners opt for cash prizes, which would be $546.8 million for Wednesday's Powerball and $716.3 million for the next Mega Millions drawing.
Prizes are also subject to federal taxes. Most states take a cut, as well.
Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is offered in Puerto Rico.
The jackpot for the next Powerball drawing, on Saturday, will be an estimated $20 million, with a cash value of $15 million.
A look at the 10 largest U.S. jackpots that have been won and the states where the winning tickets were sold:
- $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)
- $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket, South Carolina)
- $768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019 (one ticket, Wisconsin)
- $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017 (one ticket, from Massachusetts)
- $731.1 million, Powerball, Jan. 20, 2021 (one ticket, from Maryland)
- $687.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 27, 2018 (two tickets, from Iowa and New York)
- $656 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets, from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)
- $648 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 17, 2013 (two tickets, from California and Georgia)
- $590.5 million, Powerball, May 18, 2013 (one ticket, from Florida)
- $587.5 million, Powerball, Nov. 28, 2012 (two tickets, from Arizona and Missouri)