After another drawing with no winner, the Powerball jackpot sits at an astonishing $950 million. The amount is the sixth largest in the game's history. The lucky winner will get a cash payout of $428.9 million. As there was no winning ticket, the stakes for the next drawing are even higher. Powerball's last winner claimed the prize on May 31, a California lottery player – who bought their ticket at a 7-Eleven – won $204.5 million, with a cash value of $91.6 million.
On Monday night, the winning numbers were: 9, 12, 22, 41 and 61. Powerball was 25 and the power play was four. But, for the 39th consecutive drawing, there was no winner.
"The excitement of playing for a colossal Powerball jackpot is back!" Matt Strawn, Powerball product group chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, said in a statement.
© Anadolu via Getty ImagesWhile the jackpot was left unclaimed, two tickets sold in Georgia and Texas matched all five white balls and the players won $1 million each.
The next drawing for the $950 million pot will take place on Saturday, August 30 at 10:59 p.m. E.T. While sale cut-off times vary by one to two hours before the drawing, in most states, participants must buy tickets by 10:00 p.m. ET.
Powerball's history
© Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagThe first Powerball drawing was called "Lotto America," occurring in 1988 in six states and the District of Columbia. In 1992, it was renamed Powerball and expanded to more states. Now, 45 states participate in the lottery. The only states that aren't in the Powerball are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
In 2001, Powerball introduced "Power Play" – an optional multiplier which allowed players to multiply non-jackpot winnings by up to five if they paid $1 per game. The next change to Powerball came in 2009. The organization finally welcomed Florida, opening up the Powerball to millions more Americans.
Americans love playing the lottery. Last year, Americans spent $105.26 billion on lottery tickets.
© AFP via Getty ImagesNotable Powerball wins
Whoever wins the next Powerball drawing will join the many notable winners. The first big win was on December 25, 2002. A president of a construction firm in Putnam County, West Virginia won $314.9 million, which set a record for a single ticket in an American lottery.
Three years later, a family from Jacksonville, Oregon won $340 million. Every few years, Powerball winners won more and more. On January 13, 2016, the Powerball of $1.586 billion was split between three winners – in California, Florida, and Tennessee. The most recent big winner was in October 2023. A single ticket was purchased in Frazier Park, California and the buyer won a $1.76 billion jackpot.
What are the odds of winning the Powerball?
© AFP via Getty ImagesWith so many Americans playing Powerball weekly, the odds of winning are very low. According to Powerball, the odds of winning the top prize are one in 292.2 million.
