DES MOINES, Iowa — The record-breaking $1.9 billion Powerball drawing was delayed because a participating lottery had trouble processing sales and results likely won’t be known until later Tuesday, officials said.
“Powerball requires all 48 participating lotteries to submit their sales and play data before winning numbers are selected. Once Powerball receives the pending submission, the drawing may proceed,” the Multi-State Lottery Association said in a statement.
Nearly three hours after the drawing scheduled for Monday at 10:59 p.m. EST, the association told The Associated Press: “It is against our policy to name the lottery that is experiencing the delay.” On Tuesday morning, the association said in a new statement that Powerball was “in communication with the lottery throughout the night as it works to resolve the issue.”
“Like the rest of the United States, Powerball is eager to hold its drawing for the world record jackpot, however, protecting the integrity of the drawing is of the utmost importance, even if it means further delay,” the statement said.
The winning numbers and recorded video of the drawing will be posted on the Powerball website and YouTube channel. Players must keep their tickets, the statement says.
The jackpot is nearly $400 million larger than the previous record jackpot and will continue to grow until someone wins the jackpot. Only four previous jackpots have surpassed $1 billion, but none of them are close to the current jackpot, which started at $20 million on August 6 and for three months without a win has gotten more and more massive. No one has won the jackpot since August 3.
A winner who chooses an annuity, paid annually for 29 years, would get the estimated payout of $1.9 billion. Nearly all of the winners opt for cash, which for Monday’s drawing would be $929.1 million.
Even though more people attracted by the giant prize deposit $2 on a Powerball ticket, the game’s ultra-long odds of 1 in 292.2 million mean there’s still a good chance another draw will take place without anyone winning the big one. reward. That would push the jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing to more than $2 billion.
Those who spend $2 on a Powerball ticket might wonder if something is wrong when 40 drawings go by without a jackpot winner, but that’s how the game is designed. It is unlikely that anyone will win the jackpot until a growing jackpot draws more players. And more ticket sales mean the lottery can raise more money for public programs, which is the goal of state lotteries.
Still, it’s been a long time without a jackpot, and if there isn’t a winner at some point on Tuesday due to the delay, a record will have been reached: 41 draws without anyone matching all six numbers.
The game is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.