The Powerball jackpot soared to an estimated $1.7 billion for Saturday night’s drawing after no tickets came up winners of Wednesday’s $1.4 grand prize, Powerball said. Saturday’s pot of gold would have an estimated cash value of $770.3 million. Both totals are before taxes.
The winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing were 3, 16, 29, 61 and 69, with a Powerball of 22.
Saturday’s windfall would be the third-biggest in U.S. lottery history, only trailing the world-record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won on Nov. 7, 2022 and the $1.765 billion jackpot captured on Oct. 11, 2023. Both were won in California.
And since jackpots grow as more and more tickets are bought as jackpots approach, there’s a chance Saturday’s top prize could eclipse the current runner-up and take the No. 2 spot.
Including the upcoming drawing, there have been six jackpots of more than $1 billion in Powerball’s 33-year history.
So far this year, the Powerball jackpot has been grabbed four times.
Saturday’s drawing will be the 42nd since the Powerball jackpot was last won on May 31, 2025, in California. The current run of 41 ties the game’s mark for most consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. The only other Powerball jackpot streak to get to 42 drawings ended on April 6, 2024 with a $1.326 billion jackpot won in Oregon.
If a single ticket wins Saturday’s jackpot, its purchaser would get to choose an annuity-tied estimated $1.70 billion or a lump sum payment of roughly $770.3 million — the cash value. If a winner picks the annuity option, they would get an immediate payment followed by 29 annual ones that increase by 5-percent each year.
The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball. Drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 11 p.m. ET.
Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
