Players matched all six numbers and hit it rich Wednesday night. The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1. Players will next have a shot at the Powerball jackpot Saturday night in hopes of ending an 11-week stretch without a big winner. No matter how large the prize grows the odds stay the same and they’re terrible.

Game Details

Powerball tickets cost $2, and purchasers can pick their own numbers and a single Powerball or leave that task to a computer. Powerball drawings are held three times in a week at 10:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, with numbers selected by the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee. After the numbers are drawn, it usually takes a few hours to determine the jackpot winner. If there is no winner, state lottery officials announce an estimate of the jackpot for the next drawing. If there is a winner, the jackpot goes back up to $20 million and starts growing until there is another winner.

How is the Jackpot Determined?

The jackpot is based on ticket sales revenue, so the more people who play the game, the faster the top prize grows. Although the current jackpot is advertised as $1.4 billion, the lottery has less than half of that amount available for the grand prize. Therefore, the cash prize which most winners accept would be $643.7 million.
Players can also opt for an annuity, in which the $643.7 million is paid to a company that guarantees a $1.4 billion return over 30 years. If a winner dies before receiving all of his or her money, the balance goes to the winner’s estate.

What about Taxes?

The state lotteries immediately deduct 24% of the jackpot winnings for federal taxes, and additional federal taxes may apply when the federal tax return is filed. State taxes vary, as some states do not tax lottery winnings at all and others tax the money at different rates.

Where is the Game Played?

Powerball is played in 45 states including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The other nearly national lottery game, Mega Millions, is also played in these 45 states as well as U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington D.C. The five states that do not participate in the games are Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, Alabama and Nevada.

Where can you buy Lottery Tickets?

Lottery tickets can be purchased in person at supermarkets, grocery stores and gas stations. Some airport terminals also sell lottery tickets. In the following U.S. states, you can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery messenger of the USA TODAY Network: Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Massachusetts, Colorado, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, New Mexico, Texas, Washington D.C., West Virginia and Ohio.