(NEXSTAR) – The Powerball jackpot was able to roll over again after no ticket matched the winning numbers drawn Wednesday, propelling the grand prize to an estimated $1.30 billion ahead of Saturday night’s drawing.
The current jackpot has been growing since New Year’s Day. At its current estimated size, the Powerball jackpot ranks as the fourth-largest in game history. With the latest increase, the jackpot has also surpassed the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot won by a New Jersey ticket last month to become the eighth-largest in U.S. history.
Here are the 10 largest jackpots in the nation based on data from Powerball and Mega Millions, as well as when and where they were won:
- $2.04 billion (Powerball): Nov. 7, 2022; California
- $1.765 billion (Powerball): Oct. 11, 2023; California
- $1.602 billion (Mega Millions): Aug. 8, 2023; Florida
- $1.586 billion (Powerball): Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida, Tennessee
- $1.537 billion (Mega Millions): Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
- $1.348 billion (Mega Millions): Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
- $1.337 billion (Mega Millions): July 29, 2022; Illinois
- $1.30 billion (Current Est. Powerball)
- $1.128 billion (Mega Millions): Mar. 26, 2024; New Jersey
- $1.08 billion (Powerball): July 19, 2023; California
If you’re ready to test your luck at the $1.30 billion Powerball jackpot, you’ll want to get your ticket (or tickets) soon.
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET, which means the next drawing is set for Saturday, April 6. But, depending on where you live, you may only have a few hours left to get your tickets.
Twelve states stop selling an hour before the drawing: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Similarly, these states end Powerball sales at 10 p.m. ET: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Four states take their draw breaks (the time in which tickets can no longer be sold for the upcoming drawing) at 9:50 p.m. ET: Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In other states — Delaware, Michigan, Washington, and the District of Columbia — the cut off is five minutes earlier at 9:45 p.m. ET.
Here’s a look at when other states pause ticket sales on Powerball draw nights:
- Arizona: 6:59 p.m. local time until daylight saving time ends, then 7:59 p.m. local time
- Colorado: 7:30 p.m. local time
- Idaho: 1 hour and five minutes before the drawing
- Indiana: 9:58 p.m. local time
- New Hampshire: 9:48 p.m. local time online, or 9:50 p.m. in stores
- North Dakota: 8:58 p.m. local time
Like New Hampshire, some states may have different cut-off times for tickets being purchased online. You’ll want to check with your local lottery before buying any last-minute tickets.
Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Your odds of landing the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
