Those who spend $2 on a Powerball ticket might wonder if something is wrong when 40 drawings pass without a jackpot winner, but this is how the game is designed: The odds of 1 in 292 million make it unlikely anyone will win the prize until a growing jackpot attracts more players. That would push the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing to more than $2 billion.
Nearly all winners instead opt for cash, which for Monday's drawing would be $929.1 million.Įven as more people attracted by the giant prize drop $2 on a Powerball ticket, the game's ultra-long odds of 1 in 292.2 million means there still is a good chance that another drawing will pass without anyone winning the grand prize.
A winner who chooses an annuity, paid annually over 29 years, would get the estimated $1.9 billion payout.
