The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing on Wednesday, July 22, were 16, 25, 36, 44 and 55, with the red Powerball 14 and a Power Play of 3x.
There were no tickets sold that managed to match all of those numbers, meaning that the Powerball will roll over to the next drawing on Saturday. However, one lucky winner did purchase a ticket that matched all five white numbers and so will scoop the second biggest prize of $1 million.
There were also 13 people who matched four of the white balls plus the Powerball to receive a $50,000 payout, with two of those winning tickets tripling the size of their payout to $150,000 because they also purchased the additional 3x Power Play.
With nobody winning the top prize, the jackpot will increase in size for the next drawing on July 25. The top prize now stands at $117 million, with a case value of roughly $94.9 million. This jackpot could increase if sales further lottery projections, according to officials.
Before Wednesday’s draw, the previous Powerball on Saturday, July 18, had the winning numbers of 13, 16, 32, 58 and 59 with the Powerball being 9 and a Power Play of 2x. There were no jackpot winners for that draw either, but one ticket purchased in Georgia matched all five white balls to receive a $1 million prize payout.
The last Powerball jackpot to be won was over three months ago on April 8, when a ticket purchased in New Jersey successfully matched all numbers to win a grand prize worth $190 million. The numbers for that drawing were 2, 37, 39, 48, 54 and a Powerball of 5.
How do you play Powerball?
One of the most popular lottery games in the U.S. alongside Mega Millions, Powerball usually has drawings twice a week on a Wednesday and Saturday night, at 10:59 p.m. EDT. Each draw is broadcast live from the lottery studio in Tallahassee, Florida.
You can play Powerball in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each ticket costs $2 per play, with payers selecting five numbers from 1 to 69, in addition to one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. In certain circumstances, players can also multiply non-jackpot prizes by using the Power Play option for an additional $1.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, the jackpot has been reset at $20 million after it is won, rather than the previous $40 million.
Powerball’s official website claims that players have a 1 in 24.9 chance of winning any prize regardless of the number of participants. But the chances of winning the grand prize jackpot are astronomically higher at 1 in 292,201,338.
Winners can choose to either select their prize as an annuity, or for significantly less, a lump-sum payment. The annuity option sees the winner receive 30 annual payments over the space of 29 years, with each payment increasing by five percent until the 30th and final payment.
If you win a jackpot, call lottery officials at 1-800-222-0996.
