DES MOINES, Iowa (NEXSTAR) — The Powerball jackpot increased to an estimated $935 million after no one matched the six numbers drawn Wednesday night.
The numbers selected were: 37, 46, 57, 60, 66 and the Powerball 8.
No tickets for the second-tier $2 million “Power Play” prize were drawn. Tickets worth $1 million were sold in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The drawing came a day after a player in New Jersey won a $1.13 billion Mega Millions prize after 30 straight drawings without a winner.
The Powerball jackpot has been growing since New Year’s Day, when the most recent jackpot was awarded. There have now been 37 consecutive drawings without anyone hitting the top prize.
The game’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to create big jackpots that will grab attention and increase sales.
The $935 million prize for the next drawing, scheduled for Saturday night, is for a sole winner who is paid over 30 years through an annuity. Winners usually opt for a cash payout, which is currently estimated at $449.7 million.
So, how do you know what’s best for you?
“Most people take the lump sum because they want the money, they want to control it,” Robert Pagliarini, president and chief financial advisor for Pacifica Wealth Advisors and author of “The Sudden Wealth Solution,” previously told Nexstar. “I honestly think most people are probably better off taking the annuity.”
As mentioned, the annuity option means you’ll receive a check every year with another, slightly larger portion of your lottery winnings. While that annual allowance may sound annoying to a newfound jackpot winner, it can also help protect you.
For example, let’s say you mess up with your winnings one year. Maybe you spend it unwisely, make some poor purchases, or gift too much away. If you had selected the cash option, “there’s no do-over, there’s no reset,” Pagliarini explained.
“But with the annuity, you get to redeem yourself every single year,” he added. “It might take a few years, it might take five or six years, but eventually you’ll figure it out.”
You’ll also see more taxes are withheld if you select the lump sum cash payout. Every state is required to withhold 25% in a federal lottery tax, and after additional withholdings, you’ll be losing roughly 37% of your jackpot to taxes. Then, depending on where you live, you’ll see even more withheld for state taxes.
However, Jeremy Keil, a financial adviser from Wisconsin, previously told the Associated Press that “there’s no bad choice” when it comes to the payout you select. Keil said Powerball’s annuity assumes a 4.3% investment gain of the jackpot’s cash prize.
“If you think you can beat the 4.3%, you should take the cash,” Keil said. “If you don’t, take the annuity.”
Regardless of what option you pick, Pagliarini recommends building a team of financial and legal experts. Winners should also sign their ticket immediately, keep it secure, and make a payout decision “as fast as you possibly can, in a way where you feel very comfortable about the decision.”
Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
