Players in North America have never had a chance to win a prize the size of Saturday’s Powerball jackpot annuity. At $675 million, it eclipses the previous record of $656 million set by a March 2012 Mega Millions jackpot.
If claimed as a lump sum, the jackpot would be worth $413.1 million.
“We would love to see a fifth North Carolina Powerball player win this jackpot and make history,” said Alice Garland, the lottery’s executive director. “As fun as this is, it is important to keep in mind that it only takes one ticket to win – and we encourage everyone to play responsibly.”
The jackpot grew for an 18th time after no ticket matched all six numbers in Wednesday’s drawing. Seven tickets sold in North Carolina won $50,000 in the drawing.
Before the Powerball jackpot is hit, split or rolls again, Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing could make someone a jackpot winner. A $165 million annuity, worth $100.3 million cash, is on the line.
Including the jackpot, there are nine ways to win a prize playing Powerball. In fiscal year 2015, nine times North Carolina players matched all five white balls to win $1 million to $2 million. Another 82 times, players in the state matched four white balls and the red Powerball to win $10,000 to $50,000.
Ticket sales for games such as Powerball will help the lottery for a third straight year raise more than half a billion dollars for education. For details on how lottery funds make a difference in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties, visit the “Where the Money Goes” page on the lottery’s website.
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