The numbers in the delayed Powerball lottery draw were 22, 27, 44, 52, 69 and the Powerball number was 9. The estimated jackpot is $1.3 billion, the eighth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.
The draw had been scheduled for 10:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Saturday at the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee but was delayed because “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,” according to a statement from the Multi-State Lottery Association, which conducts the game.
“Powerball game rules require that every single ticket sold nationwide be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn,” the statement said.
“This is done to ensure that every ticket sold for the Powerball drawing has been accounted for and has an equal chance to win. Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process.”
The Powerball drawing was held at 2:29 a.m. EDT Sunday at the Florida Lottery draw studio.
The drawing was the 40th since Jan. 1, the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold.
The estimated jackpot had grown to $1.3 billion from the previous estimate of $1.23 billion because of strong ticket sales across the nation coupled with a boost in interest rates used to fund the annuitized prize, the Multi-State Lottery Association announced Friday.
The odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number are 1 in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. The overall chance of winning a prize is 1 in 24.9.
The jackpot is the fourth-largest in the history of the Powerball game, which began in 1992. There have been four larger jackpots for the Mega Millions game, which began in 1996 as The Big Game and was given the new name Mega Millions in 2002.
The Powerball game is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.