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Saturday night’s $1.3-billion Powerball drawing has been delayed due to a procedural issue.
“Tonight, we have one participating lottery that needs additional time to complete required pre-draw procedures, which have been enacted to protect the security and integrity of the Powerball game,” Powerball said in a statement shortly after 7:59 p.m., when the drawing was supposed to have taken place.
Powerball game rules require that every ticket sold nationwide be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn. The process ensures that every ticket sold for the Powerball drawing has been accounted for and has an equal chance to win, the statement from Powerball said.
“Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process,” it said.
Powerball said lottery ticket holders should hold on to their Saturday tickets; when the required pre-draw procedures are complete, the drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors.
The winner of the $1.3-billion jackpot, if there is one, can opt for a one-time lump-sum cash payment of $608.9 million.
The most recent Powerball jackpot, for $842.4 million, was won on Jan. 1 by a ticket holder in Michigan.
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