The Powerball jackpot has surged to a staggering $1.7 billion after no ticket matched all numbers in Wednesday night’s $1.44 billion drawing.
The prize carries a cash option of about $770.3 million. If won, it would rank as the third-largest lottery payout in U.S. history, trailing only two jackpots hit in California in 2022 and 2023.
The winning numbers Wednesday were 3, 16, 29, 61, and 69, with the Powerball 22. While no one claimed the grand prize, 15 tickets nationwide hit the second prize, valued at $1 million each. Four of those doubled to $2 million with the Power Play option. In New Jersey, nine tickets matched four numbers plus the Powerball, worth between $50,000 and $100,000.
The jackpot has rolled over for 41 consecutive drawings, tying the record for the longest stretch without a top prize winner. The streak began after a California player won $204.5 million on May 31.
Powerball drawings are held three times a week in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of hitting the jackpot are about 1 in 292 million.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.