The Powerball jackpot has surged to a staggering $1.7 billion after yet another drawing ended without a top prize winner.
Monday night’s numbers were 3, 18, 36, 41, 54, with Powerball 7. It marked the 46th straight drawing since Sept. 6 without someone hitting all the numbers.
The next drawing is set for Christmas Eve, and the prize is now on track to become the fourth-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.
Long odds fuel big jackpots. Powerball’s chances of winning the top prize sit at 1 in 292.2 million, by design. Lottery officials point out that players have far better odds of winning smaller prizes. The game holds three drawings each week.
If a winner chooses the annuity, the estimated $1.7 billion would be paid out in 30 payments over 29 years. Most winners opt for cash. The lump-sum option for Monday’s drawing would have been about $735.3 million.
Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
