Summary
On Christmas Eve, a Powerball jackpot draw will offer a prize of $1.7 billion after months without a winner. This jackpot is one of the largest in the U.S. history and comes after 46 drawings without a winner since September 6. Powerball is played in 45 U.S. states and several territories, but not everyone can buy tickets everywhere due to state laws.
Key Facts
- The Powerball jackpot is now $1.7 billion, one of the largest in U.S. history.
- There have been 46 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner since September 6.
- Powerball tickets cost $2 each, and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
- Powerball is available in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Some states have different age requirements for buying lottery tickets; most require players to be 18 or older.
- If a player wins, they can take the full amount over 29 years or a lump sum cash value of $781.3 million.
- Smaller prizes are also available, with previous winners from various states winning amounts like $1 million and $100,000.
- The game odds were made harder in 2015 to encourage larger jackpots.
