The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing in Tallahassee, Florida were 5, 11, 51, 56 and 61 with the Powerball 02 and the Power Play 2x.
Nobody won the jackpot by purchasing a winning ticket that matched all five white numbers and the red Powerball. There were also no winners of the second biggest Powerball prize of $1 million, as none of the tickets purchased across the country managed to match the five balls drawn.
There were 17 people whose tickets matched four of the five numbers and the Powerball, winning a payout of $100,000. A further eight people saw those winnings doubled to $200,000 because alongside their lottery ticket they purchased the additional 2x Power Play. In total, last night’s drawing saw 656,721 players win at least $4.
With the jackpot not being won, it means the total for the grand prize rolls over to the life-changing sum of $184 million, with a cash value of $125.6 million, for the next drawing on Wednesday, March 17. This could increase if sales further lottery projections, according to officials.
Before Wednesday’s draw, the previous Powerball on Wednesday, March 10 had the winning numbers of 17, 18 , 37, 44 and 53 with the Powerball 18 and the Power Play 3x. There were no jackpot winners for that drawing, but one lucky person in Virginia purchased a ticket that matched all five white numbers minus the red Powerball to take home $1 million.
The last time the Powerball jackpot was won was back on January 30, when a player from New Jersey took home the $30 million top prize.
How do you play Powerball?
Powerball, along with Mega Millions, is one of the most popular multi-state lotteries in the country. The game is available to play in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The five states that do not sell lottery tickets are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
But from August there will be one less state that will allow you to play Powerball as this week Idaho lawmakers voted to end the lottery in the state due to fears of foreign participation. Powerball is due to expand outside the U.S. this year, with Australia included in 2021 and the U.K. in 2022. Under current law, Idaho only allows lotteries in the state played by people from the U.S. and Canada.
Drawings usually take place twice a week on a Wednesday and Saturday night, at 10:59 p.m. ED. Each draw is broadcast live from the lottery studio in Tallahassee, Florida.
You can play Powerball in Each ticket costs $2 per play, with players selecting five numbers from 1 to 69, in addition to one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. In certain circumstances, players can also multiply non-jackpot prizes by using the Power Play option for an additional $1.
What are your chances of winning?
Powerball’s official website claims that players have a 1 in 24.9 chance of winning any prize regardless of the number of participants. But the chances of winning the grand prize jackpot are astronomically higher at 1 in 292,201,338, according to the official website.
Winners can choose to either select their prize as an annuity, or for significantly less, a lump-sum payment. The annuity option sees the winner receive 30 annual payments over the space of 29 years, with each payment increasing by five percent until the 30th and final payment.
If you win a jackpot, call lottery officials at 1-800-222-0996.
