03 October 2023 , 03:25
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A lucky person could land a life-changing jackpot in tonight’s Powerball draw.
The numbers were drawn Monday night for a $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot, but it will be a couple hours before it's clear if there is a winner.
The winning numbers announced were: 12, 26, 27, 43, 47 and the Powerball 5.
READ MORE: Couple who stopped for lunch on long drive home win $1million Powerball fortune
It takes some time to determine if anyone won the jackpot because lotteries around the country must report if there is a big winner in their states.
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The prize is the world's ninth-largest lottery prize behind earlier drawings of Powerball and Mega Millions, the other nearly nationwide lottery game. The jackpot is the fourth-largest in the history of Powerball.
No winners have been announced yet (Getty Images)The prize has grown so massive because there have been 32 consecutive drawings since someone matched all five white balls and the Powerball to win the jackpot, dating back to July 19.
That losing streak reflects the stunningly long odds of winning the jackpot, at 1 in 292.2 million.
The $1.04 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to receive the winnings through an annuity, paid annually over 30 years. Winners nearly always pick the cash option, which for Monday night's drawing would be an estimated $478.2 million.
A Powerball ticket costs $2 in most states and players can pick their own numbers or have a computer make the selection.
Powerball is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Meanwhile, one lucky couple had no idea that a quick stop for lunch on a long drive home would make them millionaires.
They won a massive $1million after buying a lottery ticket on a whim in Virginia. Christine Oberheitmann, who works as a teaching assistant, and her husband had been travelling back to Berlin, Maryland State, and decided to make a pit stop for something to eat while passing through Cape Charles in Virginia.
While inside Sting-Ray restaurant, the Powerball ticket caught Christine’s eye when she saw how big the jackpot had grown. She told local media she couldn’t resist the temptation to buy a ticket when she saw the rolling Powerball jackpot prize had risen to a massive $500million (£410million). She opted to play the lucky dip, allowing the computer to randomly select her numbers.
"I typically only play when the jackpot gets big," she said. But Christine never thought that the single ticket she bought on a whim would have made her a millionaire.
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