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(NEXSTAR) — Another near-record Powerball jackpot is growing, just in time for the holidays. There was no winning ticket in Saturday’s drawing, pushing the grand prize to an estimated $543 million. The numbers drawn Saturday were 3, 9, 10, 20, 62, and red Powerball 25. The Power Play was 3X.
There were two tickets — one each in New Jersey and Wisconsin — that matched the five white numbers, landing $1 million prizes, according to Powerball officials. But, without a jackpot winner, the estimated grand prize stands as the fourth-largest of the year. It’s been building since the last jackpot was hit in October: a $1.765 billion prize won by a ticket sold in California.
The next drawing will be held Monday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Should there be a winner (or winners), they’ll have the choice between an annuitized payout or the cash option, which sits at an estimated $272.2 million as of Sunday.
Should the jackpot be won this month, it would be the largest-ever December prize in Powerball history, according to game records. That title is currently held by a $298.3 million jackpot won by a New York ticket on December 26, 2018.
Still, the current jackpot is relatively small. It’s only the 16th-largest in Powerball history, coming behind a $559.7 million prize won in New Hampshire in 2018.
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, meaning there could be a jackpot winner on Christmas Day (December 25 falls on a Monday this year). There have already been two Christmas Day Powerball jackpot winners: a $48.4 million prize won by a New York ticket in 2010 and a $71.5 million prize won by a Missouri ticket in 2013.
If you’re ready to try your luck, be prepared: while you have a 1 in 29 chance of winning any of Powerball’s nine available prizes, you have a 1 in 292.2 million chance of landing the jackpot. While some suggest playing certain numbers or buying more tickets to increase your odds, experts say your chance of winning is the same as everyone else’s.
Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets are $2 per play.
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