Overview
- The jackpot is estimated at $786 million for Wednesday’s drawing, up about $38 million from Monday and one of the ten largest prizes in Powerball history.
- The advertised cash option is roughly $341.6 million before taxes, while the annuity pays 30 graduated payments over 29 years with annual increases of about 5 percent.
- The run began in early May and has produced 40 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, letting the prize swell as more jurisdictions and players participate.
- The odds of winning the jackpot remain about 1 in 292.2 million; Powerball tickets cost $2 and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Experts and lottery officials advise any eventual winner to protect privacy, hire tax and legal advisers immediately, expect roughly 24 percent federal withholding on initial payments, and avoid sudden large purchases or gifts.