Powerball jackpot soars to a colossal $1.2 billion: Did anyone win last night? (October 2, 2023)

Powerball Lottery (Image via Sportskeeda)

In the wake of Monday night's drawing, the Powerball pot has become the stuff of dreams and headlines. Despite the immense excitement, there was no lucky ticket holder who managed to match all six numbers drawn, leaving the jackpot untouched.

This failure to produce a winner has sent shockwaves through the lottery-loving community, setting the stage for even grander possibilities.

The journey to the colossal $1.2 billion prize began on July 19, when a ticket sold in California claimed a monumental $1.08 billion. Since then, 32 consecutive drawings have come and gone without a jackpot winner, allowing the pot to flourish with each passing week.

Powerball’s historic jackpots

While the grand prize eluded hopefuls across the nation, some were not left empty-handed. Two fortunate tickets, one purchased in Delaware and the other in Michigan, matched all five white balls, securing a handsome $1 million each.

An additional pair of tickets, sold in New York and South Carolina, boasted an added twist. By opting for the Power Play feature, which offers winners the opportunity to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by an additional dollar per play, these two players seized $2 million each.

The future for jackpot winners

For the fortunate few who manage to match all six numbers and lay claim to the staggering $1.2 billion prize, a decision of monumental proportions awaits.

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Jackpot winners face a choice between receiving the prize as an immediate cash lump sum or spreading it out over 30 annual payments across 29 years, with neither option yet accounting for federal or jurisdictional taxes.

Record-breaking jackpots

This year alone has been nothing short of astonishing for lottery enthusiasts, with some winning mega-millions. The grand prize has already been claimed four times this year, with winners hailing from various corners of the United States. These impressive wins include:

$754.6 million was claimed on February 6 in Washington.
$162.6 million was secured on March 4 in Virginia.
$252.6 million was celebrated on April 19 in Ohio, with the winning ticket sold in Summit County.
$1.08 billion, the historic sum claimed on July 19 in California.

Here are the top five Powerball jackpots, as compiled by Powerball.com:

$2.04 billion on November 7, 2022, in California, a world record.
$1.586 billion on January 13, 2016, with winning tickets in California, Florida, and Tennessee.
$1.08 billion on July 19, 2023, in California.
$768.4 million on March 27, 2019, in Wisconsin.
$758.7 million on August 23, 2017, in Massachusetts.

Powerball drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET and are live-streamed online at Powerball.com

Edited by Prem Deshpande