11/5/22 UPDATE: Click here for the winning numbers from Saturday night's drawing.
At $1.6 billion, this Powerball jackpot is the largest lottery prize ever. It’s expected to break records set in 2016, when a $1.586 billion prize was split between three winners in California, Florida and Tennessee.
No one has hit all six numbers since August, making for 39 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner. The winless streak is a product of the abysmal odds of winning: just one in 292.2 million.
It's not great odds, but someone always win eventually, and locals are buying tickets as they picture what they'd do with all that cash.
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“Pay off my parents’ house and just take care of them and probably buy a couple properties up in Maine and New Hampshire.” said Tyler, who was playing at a local establishment.
The full $1.6 billion will go to those who take their winnings through annual payments over 29 years. Most winners opt for the cash, though, which is currently estimated at $782.4 million. And remember those are pre-tax winnings.
Lucky stores in Massachusetts?
In the last drawing, Wednesday night, one person bought a ticket in Massachusetts that won $100,000, and two others had tickets that hit for $50,000, the state lottery said. Those tickets were sold here:
- Island Variety, Nantucket
- Bay State Wine & Spirits, Canton
- A One Market, Peabody
In Monday night's drawing, there were nine tickets sold in Massachusetts that won $50,000, according to the state lottery. Here's where the tickets were sold:
- New England Farms, Acushnet
- Stop & Shop, Andover
- Beverly Shop ‘N Go, Beverly
- Hampden Mini Mart, Hampden
- Jackansons, Marshfield
- Hatch’s Package Store, Nantucket
- Petro Plus, North Chelmsford
- Town Variety, Peabody
- Market Basket, Sagamore
More on Powerball
Billion-dollar jackpots: a new phenomenon
Each of the 10 biggest U.S. lottery jackpots has come since 2016. Prior to tonight's drawing, the record for biggest-ever jackpot was in 2016, for a Powerball prize of 1.586 billion that ended up being split by several winners.
Here's a ranking of the highest jackpots so far:
- $1.6 billion (est.) Powerball: 11/5/2022, TBD
- $1.586 billion Powerball: 1/13/2016, California, Florida, Tennessee
- $1.537 billion Mega Millions: 10/23/2018, South Carolina
- $1.337 billion Mega Millions: 7/29/2022, Illinois
- $1.05 billion Mega Millions: 1/22/2021, Michigan
- $768.4 million Powerball: 3/27/2019, Wisconsin
- $758.7 million Powerball: 8/23/2017, Massachusetts
- $731.1 million Powerball: 1/20/2021, Maryland
- $699.8 million Powerball: 10/04/2021, California
- $687.8 million Powerball: 10/27/2018, Iowa, New York
What is the latest time to buy a ticket in Massachusetts?
Tickets are on sale until 9:50 p.m., a little over an hour before the drawing. Click here if you need some tips for choosing your Powerball numbers.
Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Drawings are held each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
Good luck!
