Powerball jackpot hits $640M as Mega Millions grows to $750M

January 15, 2021 at 2:33 a.m. | Updated January 15, 2021 at 2:33 a.m.

by Associated Press

In this Jan. 13, 2016 file photo, a clerk hands over a Powerball ticket for cash at Tower City Lottery Stop in Cleveland. The Associated Press has learned that the group that runs Powerball approved, then backed off, changes that would have given ticket buyers more bang for their two bucks than the game redesign implemented last year. In October, Powerball managers changed the game's matrix in a bid to build bigger jackpots to revive lagging player interest and ticket sales.
In this Jan. 13, 2016 file photo, a clerk hands over a Powerball ticket for cash at Tower City Lottery Stop in Cleveland. The Associated Press has learned that the group that runs Powerball approved, then backed off, changes that would have given ticket buyers more bang for their two bucks than the game redesign implemented last year. In October, Powerball managers changed the game's matrix in a bid to build bigger jackpots to revive lagging player interest and ticket sales.

DES MOINES, Iowa - Another night, another unclaimed giant lottery jackpot.

Wednesday night's Powerball jackpot was worth at least $550 million and grew to an estimated $640 million without a winner heading into the next drawing Saturday. Numbers for Wednesday night's Powerball drawing were: 4-19-23-25-49 and a Powerball of 14.

The Powerball prize drawing was only a day after no one won a $625 million Mega Millions jackpot, causing that prize to grow to $750 million ahead of the next drawing on Friday night.

The Mega Millions prize is now the fifth-largest in U.S. history.

It's only the second time both of the national lottery games have topped $500 million.

The prizes have grown so massive because it has been months since anyone has matched all six numbers and won either jackpot. The odds of winning it all are incredibly small, at 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.

The jackpots listed by the lotteries are for winners who opt to be paid through an annuity over 30 years. Nearly all winners take the cash option, which is less.

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