Monday's Powerball drawing could land lucky winner $900 million

17 July 2023 , 22:40

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The last winner of the jackpot was back in April, when an individual's ticket in Ohio matched all six numbers to win a grand prize worth $252.6 million (Image: Getty Images)

For anyone feeling truly lucky tonight - Powerball's jackpot is up to $900 million, the third-largest jackpot in the game’s history.

With zero winners in 37 consecutive drawings, the payout amount has become massive. If no one wins tonight's drawing, it becomes even bigger.

The last winner of the jackpot was back in April, when an individual's ticket in Ohio matched all six numbers to win a grand prize worth $252.6 million. Others have won by matching five numbers, which got them $1 million prizes last Saturday. The three-million-dollar winning tickets were sold in Colorado and Texas.

Though the prize seems high, $900 million is for those who choose to get a certain amount every month/year. Otherwise, the total cash payout ends up at about $465.1 million. That's not counting taxes, which are taken out of the sum by federal and state governments.

$900 million is for those who choose to get a certain amount every month/year (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

In addition to a high Powerball jackpot, Mega Millions jackpot winnings grew to an estimated $640 million after there were no winners Friday, according to its website. The next drawing will be Tuesday at 11 pm ET.

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The largest three payouts in lottery history in the US happened in California, Tennessee, and South Carolina - with winners getting $2.04 billion (2022), $1.58 billion (2016), and $1.5 billion (2018), respectively.

Lottery players seeking to increase their chances of winning may find hope in a strategy revealed by a lottery expert, but its effectiveness is limited to certain regions. While the odds are often stacked against players, Arizona news station KPNX recently shared a map - generated from the state's lottery website - that highlighted recent winners and their locations.

In the recent segment, anchor Emily Pritchard showed recent winners and their locations. Clicking on a city revealed the corresponding counties and even the specific stores where the wins occurred. For instance, at a store located in Phoenix at 13802 North 40 Street, two winners had secured $2,000 prizes.

Emily suggested considering locations that have previously sold multiple winning tickets, though the decision to follow this advice is left to individual players.

It's important to note that not every state provides a similar map, but most offer information about recent winners and the specific locations of their victories through their respective lottery websites.

While the location strategy has its limitations, players can explore other methods to improve their odds, keeping in mind that no strategy can guarantee a win.

Yelena Mandenberg