Saturday night’s Powerball jackpot surged to an estimated $1.8 billion, making it the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.
Game officials raised the estimate Friday morning from $1.7 billion after reviewing national ticket sales. The prize carries an estimated cash value of $826.4 million.
“Excitement is building as players look forward to tomorrow night’s drawing for this historic jackpot,” Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair, said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to play responsibly and take pride in knowing that every $2 ticket also helps support good causes in their community.”
There hasn’t been a drawing with a grand prize winner since May 31, when a ticket worth $207 million was sold at a convenience store in Arleta. The run has already produced 101 winning tickets worth $1 million or more and more than 1,000 tickets worth $50,000 or more, according to Powerball officials.
The odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is 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 Powerball game is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.
