PENNSYLVANIA–The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is up to a cool $700 million (or $443.2 million after taxes).
This is the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history. The only larger jackpot was a $1.6 billion prize that was split by three winning tickets in January 2016.
Pennsylvania lottery officials say that by mid-day Powerball tickets were selling at a rate of about 8,300 per-minute across the state.
If there’s no winner tonight, the jackpot will be an estimated $1 billion for the Saturday, August 26 drawing.
Here are some other quick Powerball facts:
- It costs $2 to play. Choose your own numbers or let the computer Quick Pick them.
- The televised drawing takes place at 11 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.
- In Pennsylvania, tickets are sold until 9:59 p.m. on drawing nights.
- The Pennsylvania Lottery has sold 17 jackpot-winning tickets since joining the multi-state game 15 years ago this summer.
- The largest Powerball prize Pennsylvania has ever awarded was a $110.2 million cash-value jackpot claimed by a New Jersey couple in May 2004.
- Pennsylvania’s largest Powerball group win was a $107.5 million cash jackpot shared by 48 transit workers from the Philadelphia area in April 2012.
- The current jackpot has been growing since the June 10 drawing.
- In Pennsylvania, players must be 18 or older.
