The winner this Wednesday could get up to $1.3 billion, as the jackpot rises due to the lack of winners on Saturday’s drawing. This prize reached a new record in the U.S lottery history.
The Saturday prize was already a record, nearly $950 million, and was beaten by the new amount. More than $1 billion in Powerball tickets have been sold in the U.S, lottery officials said. On Friday, the sales went up to $37 million in tickets in California, officials expected to double it and succeeded by Saturday’s drawing. By 7 pm californians had expended over $59.1 million, they added.
There have been a lot of enthusiasts for the largest prize in history, although the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. It is more likely to be become the President of the U.S, 1 in 10 million or being attacked by a shark 11.5 million, She Knows published.
The prize started at $40 million in November, but there have been no extremely lucky winners. The overwhelming amount is also possible for the change in the odds. Before, the odds of winning were 1 in 175 and changed to 292.2 million as reported by CBS News.
Thanks to the rise in the odds, even larger prizes are possible. So do not be surprised if there is no winner this wednesday either. To beat those odds the winner will have to match five numbers between 1 and 69 and another extra number between 1 and 26, that comes drawn separately. If someone does, he or she will have the option of being paid through annual payments over 29 years or one cash payment.
Experts in money management like Olivia S. Mitchell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said to CBS News that the safest option to avoid the risk of overspending or an investment mishap would be the annual payment.
The prize that holds the record worldwide is “El Gordo” from Spain which has reached the amount of 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in prizes.
Source: Los Angeles Times