According to the Powerball website, the winning numbers for December 25, were 2-4-16-30-46. The Power Ball was 20 with a Power Play of X2.
However, no one managed to win the jackpot this time in either the Powerball game or Power Play. There were four winners of the Match 5, giving each ticket holder a windfall of $1 million.
Meanwhile, 21 ticket holders matched four numbers and the Power Ball, and with the Power Play of X2, that entitles them to a prize of $100,000 each.
It means that it has been nearly two months since the last jackpot was won. On November 3, a single ticket in California netted an eye-watering $150 million, according to the Powerball website with the winning numbers of 3-23-32-37-58, with the Powerball 22, and Power Play multiplier 2X.
The anonymous winner was able to choose between an annuity of $150 million, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment of $104.8 million (before taxes).
The estimated jackpot for the next draw has now leapt to $200 million with a cash option of $134.3 million. The next Powerball draw is on Sunday, December 29, so someone could still be able to see in the New Year in style.
How do you play Powerball?
Powerball draws are broadcast live from the lottery studio in Tallahassee, Florida, every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. ET. It is one of the most widely played lottery games in the country, with tickets sold in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to its website.
Powerball tickets cost $2 per play. The rules are simple. Players choose five numbers from 1 to 69, as well as one Powerball number from 1 to 26.
In certain cases, players can also boost any non-jackpot prizes by using the Power Play option for an additional $1 per go.
The odds of winning a prize are the same in every Powerball drawing. Powerball’s website assures people that every player has a 1 in 24.9 chance of winning a prize when the jackpot is $40 million, and this doesn’t change if the jackpot is $1 billion.
Back in June, Charles W. Jackson Jr. spoke of his joy when he became the biggest winner in North Carolina’s history, after winning $344.6 million by matching all six numbers.
The 66-year-old later said the numbers came from a fortune cookie from a Vietnamese restaurant that his granddaughter had given him. “You play to win, but you never really expect to win the whole dang pot,” he told lottery officials.
The chances of winning is not linked to the number of tickets sold and even if more tickets are sold in a particular draw, the odds of winning stay the same.
When it comes to PowerPlay, the website states that for an additional $1 per play, non-jackpot prizes can be multiplied 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X. The multiplier number is randomly chosen before each numbers draw. The 10X multiplier is only in play when the advertised jackpot annuity is $150 million or less.
Potential winners can watch the Powerball numbers draw on the Powerball website or local affiliated CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, CW and Telemundo TV channels. A full list can be found on the Powerball website.
