No-one has claimed the $200 million jackpot for the March 20 draw, according to the Powerball website. As a result, the jackpot will rollover to the next drawing on March, when the estimated jackpot will be $220 million (with a cash value of $147.8 million).
Although no-one claimed the jackpot, a player in Virginia did win the second biggest Powerball prize of $2 million by matching five white balls correctly and purchasing the Power Play feature.
And two players, one from Florida and another from Illinois, won $1 million prizes by matching five white balls correctly.
There were 16 people who matched four white balls and the Powerball correctly, winning $50,000 prizes. Another four people saw those winnings tripled to $150,000 because they purchased the Power Play.
The last time the Powerball jackpot was won was back on January 30, when a player from New Jersey took home the $30 million 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. ET. 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.
