DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A lottery jackpot estimated at $1.4 billion will be available on Wednesday night, following numerous drawings without a major winner.
This enormous Powerball jackpot ranks as the sixth-largest in U.S. lottery history. It’s the outcome of 40 straight drawings over the summer period without a player successfully matching all six numbers in the game.
No one has won the grand prize since May 31, and the 41st drawing on Wednesday will be just one fewer than the record set last year.
These repeated losses are due to Powerball’s challenging odds of 1 in 292.2 million. However, lottery officials emphasize that the chances of winning the game’s smaller prizes are considerably better. The drawings occur three times a week.
The $1.4 billion prize is available for a winner who chooses to receive 30 annual payments over 29 years in the form of an annuity. Nonetheless, most winners prefer the cash option, with an estimated value of $634.3 million for this specific draw.
Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
