There’s a winning ticket to the $ 730 million Powerball jackpot, the first to win the top prize in months. The lucky ticket for Wednesday night’s draw was sold in Maryland, lottery officials said.
CBS Baltimore reports that it has been sold in Allegany County.
It was the fourth largest jackpot in Powerball history and the fifth largest in American lottery history.
It came after no one won the ever-growing Mega Millions prize Tuesday night. It now stands at an estimated $ 970 million for the next draw on Friday night.
Winning numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball draw were: 40-53-60-68-69 and a Powerball of 22.
It was the first time that both lottery jackpots were worth $ 700 million at the same time. The biggest prize ever was a $ 1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016.
No one had won any of the jackpots since mid-September, allowing the prizes to grow steadily for months.
Such long pieces with no 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 draw was the 36th in the Powerball run that started on September 19, 2020 – the longest jackpot run in Powerball history.
Maryland lottery spokeswoman Carole Gentry said the Mega Millions draw brought in $ 260 million in sales Tuesday night, resulting in 36% of all possible number combinations.
Prizes listed are for winners who choose an annuity option, paid out over 30 years. Most winners will opt for cash prizes, which would be $ 546.8 million for Wednesday’s Powerball and $ 716.3 million for the next Mega Millions draw.
Prices are also subject to federal taxes. Most states are also taking a cut.
Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states, as well as Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands. Powerball is also offered in Puerto Rico.
The jackpot for the next Powerball draw, on Saturday, will be an estimated $ 20 million, with a cash value of $ 15 million.
A look at the 10 biggest US jackpots that have been won and the states where the winning tickets were sold:
1. $ 1.586 billion, Powerball, January 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)
2. $ 1.537 billion, Mega Millions, October 23, 2018 (one ticket, South Carolina)
$ 768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019 (one ticket, Wisconsin)
4. $ 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, December 17, 2013 (two tickets, from California and Georgia)
9. $ 590.5 million, Powerball, May 18, 2013 (one ticket, from Florida)
10. $ 587.5 million, Powerball, Nov. 28, 2012 (two tickets, from Arizona and Missouri)