Powerball Drawing Set for $1.8 Billion Jackpot, Second-Largest on Record

A Powerball drawing will be held Saturday for an estimated $1.8 billion jackpot, which would be the second-largest prize in the game's history if won.

The prize reached the estimated $1.8 billion annuity figure after more than 40 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner. No one has matched all six numbers since May 31, prompting repeated rollovers that increase the advertised jackpot when drawings fail to produce a top prize winner.

The $1.8 billion total reflects the annuitized payout, which would be distributed as 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The lump-sum cash option, chosen by the vast majority of big-prize winners, is estimated at about $826.4 million for this drawing.

Powerball, which offers tickets for $2, is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game holds three drawings each week and has long odds—1 in 292.2 million of matching all six numbers—odds that contribute to the occasional multi-hundred-million-dollar and billion-dollar jackpots.

The largest Powerball jackpot on record is $2.04 billion, drawn in 2022 and claimed by a ticket sold in California. Lottery officials typically see increased ticket sales as jackpots rise, though the advertised annuity total is often much larger than the immediate cash payout.

Winners have a choice between the annuity and the cash option; while the annuity total is higher over time, most winners select the cash payment. State lottery rules govern claiming deadlines, withholding taxes and the public disclosure of winners, and those details vary by jurisdiction.

Saturday’s drawing will determine whether the jackpot is claimed or rolled over again, which would further increase the advertised prize for the next scheduled drawing. Organizers advise players to check rules and deadlines in their jurisdiction and to purchase tickets from authorized retailers.