Powerball Jackpot Hits $425 Million…So Far

With the Powerball jackpot drawing estimated at $425 million, customers are flocking to convenience stores located in the 43 states where the game is played.

August 08, 2013

NEW YORK – The odds of matching all six Powerball numbers may be 1 in 175 million, but customers came out in droves to stores that sell Powerball tickets with the hope of becoming $425 million richer — or $244.7 million after taxes.

"Without a doubt, when you get over $300 million, there's major excitement,'' New Jersey Lottery spokeswoman Judith Drucker told USA Today.

Reuters reports that the jackpot is the fourth largest for any U.S. lottery, and the third largest for the Powerball game, according to Florida Lottery spokesperson Shelly Gerteisen. A single winner payout would amount to about $244.7 million. The largest jackpot ever was the $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012, which was split among winners in Maryland, Kansas and Illinois.

UPDATE: The Associated Press reports that at least three people have won the Powerball and will split the $448-million jackpot.

Sue Dooley, senior drawing manager production coordinator for the Multi-State Lottery Association, told the AP late Wednesday night that three tickets matched the winning numbers: 05, 25, 30, 58, 59 and Powerball 32.

 

"We had three grand prize winners," Dooley said. "One was in Minnesota and two were in New Jersey."

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