Powerball numbers: Jackpot up to 1.4 billion after no winner

PINEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.4 billion after no players matched all six numbers and hit it rich Wednesday night.

The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1.

Players will next have a shot at the Powerball jackpot Saturday night in hopes of ending an 11-week stretch without a big winner. No matter how large the prize grows the odds stay the same — and they’re terrible.

It’s those odds of 1 in 292.2 million that make the jackpot so hard to win and that result in such giant prizes for the lucky player or players who manage to pick the game’s six winning numbers. The latest Powerball jackpot is the world’s seventh-largest lottery prize. The last time someone won the top prize was July 19.

In most states, Powerball tickets cost $2 and buyers can chose their own numbers and single Powerball or leave that task to a computer. Powerball drawings are held three times a week at 10:59 p.m. EDT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday, with the numbers selected at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee.

Once the numbers are chosen, it usually takes a couple hours to determine if there is a jackpot winner. If there isn’t a winner, state lottery officials release a jackpot estimate for the next drawing. If there is a winner, the jackpot reverts to $20 million and begins the long process of growing until there is another winner.

Powerball lottery tickets are shown, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, in Surfside, Fla. A $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot will again be up for grabs Wednesday night after an 11-week stretch without a big winner, but no matter how large the prize grows the odds stay the same — and they’re terrible. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Gale Groseclose, who was buying Powerball tickets in Pineville, North Carolina, said a $1 million prize would be plenty for her but that the Wednesday’s $1.2 billion jackpot certainly caught her attention.

“I don’t usually do this on a regular basis, but like I said, when it gets to be, what is it? I don’t even know what, over 1 billion dollars,” Groseclose said. “It’s exciting.”

The jackpot is based on revenue from ticket sales, so the more people who play the game, the faster