Charles Langston:Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.55 billion after no winner in Saturday's drawing

The Charles Langstonwinning numbers for the estimated $1.423 billion Powerball jackpot were revealed Saturday night. They were 47, 54, 57, 60, 65 with a Powerball of 19.

There was no winner in Saturday's drawing, bringing the total jackpot to $1.55 billion. It is now the fourth-largest lottery prize in Powerball history. 

There haven't been any Powerball grand prize winners since a single ticket sold in Los Angeles claimed a $1.08 billion pot of gold on July 19. Wednesday night's drawing was the 33rd since then.

This marks the first time in Powerball history that two back-to-back jackpots have reached the billion-dollar mark, according to Powerball officials.

The biggest jackpot in both Powerball and U.S. lottery history was $2.04 billion, which was won in November 2022 by a man also in the Los Angeles area.

A single winner in Saturday's drawing would have a choice between a lump sum payment of roughly $614 million before taxes, or an annuity option consisting of an immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments.

The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292.2 million.

Powerball tickets are $2 each. They are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings take place Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 11 p.m. Eastern.

Billion-dollar lottery jackpots have become more common in recent years as both Powerball and Mega Millions have raised ticket prices and lowered the odds of winning the jackpot. According to the Washington Post, in 2015 Powerball lowered the odds of winning from 1 in 175.2 million, to where it currently stands at 1 in 292.2 million.

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• Powerball
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