NEW YORK (PIX11) — No one took home the $1 billion Powerball jackpot Monday night, but a couple of New Yorkers became millionaires.
One ticket sold in New York won $2 million after matching all five white balls and paying an extra $1 for the power play option that doubled the prize. The other New Yorker is $1 million richer after picking the five lucky numbers without choosing the power play option.
Since there was no winner, the next drawing Wednesday night will be for a massive $1.2 billion jackpot. The winning numbers drawn Monday were: white balls 13, 19, 36, 39, 59 and the red power ball 13.
The increased jackpot will be the 4th-largest in U.S. history. The biggest prize was a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot won by three ticketholders in 2016.
Massive lottery jackpots have become more common in recent years as lottery officials have adjusted game rules and ticket prices to pump up the top prizes. The most recent tweak came in August, when Powerball officials added an additional drawing day — going from two a week to three — to build larger prizes and boost sales.
Although the advertised top prize Wednesday will be an estimated $1.2 billion, that is for winners who receive their winnings through an annuity paid over 29 years. Winners almost always opt for cash, which for Wednesday night’s drawing will be an estimated $596 million.
No one has hit all six numbers since Aug. 3, meaning there have now been 38 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner — a testament to how slim the odds are of winning the jackpot: 1 in 292.2 million.
Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
–Associated Press material was used in this report.
