The Powerball lottery jackpot has climbed to $850 million for Wednesday’s drawing, marking the game’s sixth-largest prize in history.
The winner can choose between an annuitized prize of $850 million or a lump sum payment of $383.7 million before taxes. The cash option was increased from $815 million due to strong ticket sales nationwide.
“America has signaled loud and clear – it’s ready to play for a massive Powerball jackpot,” Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, said in a press release.
A customer holds a number slip for Powerball lottery tickets for a $750 Million grand prize jackpot inside the Bluebird Liquor Store, which has sold winning tickets in past large lottery jackpots, in Hawthorne, Calif., on Aug. 25, 2025.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Monday’s drawing produced no jackpot winner, though two tickets sold in Georgia and Texas matched all five white balls to win $1 million each. The winning numbers in that jackpot were 16, 19, 34, 37, 64 and red Powerball 22, with a power play of 3.
The jackpot has been growing since May 31, when a California player claimed a $204.5 million prize. During this summer streak, 56 tickets have won $1 million or more, and 558 tickets have won $50,000 or more, Powerball said.
Wednesday drawing will be the 38th since the last jackpot win. Players can watch live at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee or stream it on Powerball.com.
The current jackpot ranks among Powerball’s largest prizes, following the record-breaking $2.04 billion won in California in November 2022. Other notable jackpots include $1.765 billion won in California last October; $1.586 billion split between California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016; and $1.326 billion claimed in Oregon this April.
Powerball tickets cost $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of ticket sale proceeds remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its 1992 debut, the game has generated over $36 billion for causes supported by U.S. lotteries.
Winners choosing the annuity option receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.
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