The fireworks and fun of July 4th came and went, but the Powerball noise just keeps getting louder, as Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot gets closer to Top 10 all-time status.
Did you get your ticket? Will your Powerball numbers be the winners? Wednesday’s Powerball lottery jackpot has a jackpot of $546 million with a cash option of $282 million.
Powerball has surged past the half-a-billion-dollar mark in just a few months and the next grand prize for this lottery game is now close to Top 10 Powerball jackpots all-time status (see below).
Check back here for the Wednesday, July 5 Powerball numbers.
Powerball numbers for Monday, July 3: 15, 26, 31, 38, 61 and the Powerball was 3. Power Play was 3x. No one matched any of the big prizes for Monday. The jackpot for the Wednesday, July 5 Powerball drawing has now rocketed to $546 million.
Powerball numbers for Saturday, July 1: 4, 17, 35, 49, 61 and the Powerball was 8. Power Play was 2x. No one matched any of the big prizes for Saturday. The jackpot for Saturday’s drawing was $522 million, with a cash option of $269.6 million.
The next chance to win is 11 p.m. EST Wednesday, July 5.
Tickets start at $2 apiece. Good luck!
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Here’s a snapshot of recent drawings and how much the jackpot has climbed (in so short a time):
- Wednesday, July 5: $546 million
- Monday, July 3: $522 million
- Saturday, July 1: $493 million
- Wednesday, June 28: $462 million
- Monday, June 26: $440 million
- Saturday, June 24: $427 million
- Wednesday, June 21: $400 million
- Monday, June 19, Juneteenth: $380 million
- Saturday, June 17: $366 million
- Wednesday, June 14: $340 million
- Monday, June 12: $324 million
- Saturday, June 10: $308 million
- Wednesday, June 7: $285 million
- Monday, June 5: $269 million
- Saturday, June 3: $262 million
- Wednesday, May 31: $239 million
- Monday, May 29, Memorial Day: $226 million
- Saturday, May 27: $211 million
- Wednesday, May 24: $190 million
- Monday, May 22: $179 million
- Saturday, May 20: $162 million
- Wednesday, May 17: $146 million
- Monday, May 15: $135 million
- Saturday, May 13: $125 million
- Wednesday, May 10: $109 million
- Monday, May 8: $97 million
- Saturday, May 6: $87 million
- Wednesday, May 3: $71 million
- Monday, May 1: $60 million
- Saturday, April 29: $51 million
- Wednesday, April 26: $37 million
- Monday, April 24: $28 million
Below are some frequently asked questions about Powerball, Mega Millions and lottery odds.
What we know about winners: Lotto jackpots have surpassed $1 billion six times
How much will the Powerball lottery jackpot be for Wednesday, July 5?
an estimated $546 million with a cash option of $282 million
How much was the Powerball lottery jackpot be for Monday, July 3?
an estimated $522 million with a cash option of $269.6 million
How much was the Powerball lottery jackpot for Saturday, July 1?
an estimated $493 million with a cash option of $258.3 million
Can I buy Florida lottery tickets online?
No. Some states have this option via an app or website, but not the Florida Lottery. Tickets cannot be purchased by mail, fax or online. There are more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers here, the site states.
I bought Powerball ticket in another state. Can I cash in my winnings in Florida?
No. Powerball prizes must be claimed in the state where the ticket was purchased, the Florida Lottery says.
I bought a Mega Millions ticket in another state. Can I cash in my winnings in Florida?
No. Mega Millions prizes must be claimed in the state where the ticket was purchased, the Florida Lottery says.
When do Florida lottery tickets expire?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it. Florida Lottery says its scratch-off tickets and Fast Play game prizes “must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire.”
What happens to the unclaimed prize money?
According to the Florida Lottery, state law requires 80% of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool for future drawings.
What happens to unclaimed Powerball prize money?
Should a Powerball ticket not be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date, the Florida Lottery site states, “the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series.” According to Powerball’s site, “unclaimed prizes are kept by the lottery jurisdiction. If a Grand Prize goes unclaimed, the money must be returned to all lotteries in proportion to their sales for the draw run. The lotteries then distribute the money, based on their own jurisdiction’s laws, to other lottery games or to their jurisdiction’s general fund, or otherwise as required by law.”
What happens to unclaimed Mega Millions prize money?
Should a Mega Millions ticket not be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date, “the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series.”
What are the odds of winning Powerball?
Powerball drawings are held at 11 p.m. EST Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays. According to Powerball.com, players have a 1 in 292.2 million chance to match all six numbers. Prizes range from $2 to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
Are the odds of winning Powerball the same if the jackpot is $1 billion?
Players have a 1 in 24.9 chance of winning a prize, powerball.com states.
Top 10 lottery jackpots: Powerball, Mega Millions’ biggest prizes, Who won and where winning tickets were bought
How long has Powerball rolled over?
This Powerball jackpot has rolled over since April 22. Before that, one ticket purchased in Ohio matched the six numbers to win the Wednesday, April 19, lottery jackpot of $252.6 million, with a cash option of $134.6 million. The prize was claimed by the Crazy Luck Trust with John Krajewski as trustee. It was Ohio’s fifth-largest jackpot prize, news reports show, and the ticket was purchased at GetGo Cafe and Market in Macedonia, Ohio.
While $252.6 million is a lot of money, the grand prize did not make the Top 10 lottery jackpots for Powerball or Mega Millions (see below).
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?
According to the Mega Millions website, you have a 1 in 302,575,350 chance to match all five white balls plus the gold Mega Ball. Prizes range from $2 (for matching the Mega Ball) to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states, since May 25, 2022, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
What is the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history? Who claimed $2.04 billion Powerball prize?
The largest lottery prize ever climbed to $2.04 billion in November. The jackpot was an estimated $1.9 billion days before the drawing, but lottery ticket sales helped it grow to more than $2 billion after updated calculations. A single ticket purchased in California won the grand prize, and the winner was revealed on Valentine’s Day − Feb. 14, 2023. Edwin Castro won the largest-ever lottery jackpot, and he opted for a lump sum of $997.6 million, just shy of $1 billion, according to the California Lottery.
When did lotto jackpots hit $1 billion or more?
As of July 3, 2023, there have been six lottery jackpots that have surpassed $1 billion. Half of the prizes were won (but not necessarily claimed) in January.
- 6. $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021: A single ticket won in Michigan.
- 5. $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022: A single ticket won in Illinois.
- 5. $1.35 billion, Jan. 13, 2023: A single ticket was purchased in Maine.
- 3. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018: A single ticket won in South Carolina.
- 2. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016: Three tickets won from California, Florida, Tennessee.
- 1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022: A single ticket won in California.
What are the Top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever?
According to its website, here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots as of July 5, 2023:
- 10. $522 million — June 7, 2019; California
- 9. $533 million — March 30, 2018; New Jersey
- 8. $536 million — July 8, 2016; Indiana
- 7. $543 million — July 24, 2018; California
- 6. $648 million — Dec. 17, 2013; California and Georgia
- 5. $656 million — March 30, 2012; Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
- 4. $1.05 billion — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
- 3. $1.337 billion — July 29, 2022; Illinois
- 2. $1.35 billion — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
- 1. $1.537 billion — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
What are the Top 10 largest Powerball jackpots ever?
Here are the Top 10 Powerball jackpots as of July 5, 2023:
- 10. $590.5 million — May 18, 2013; Florida
- 9. $632.6 million — Jan. 5, 2022; California and Wisconsin
- 8. $687.8 million — Oct. 27, 2018; Iowa and New York
- 7. $699.8 million — Oct. 4, 2021; California
- 6. $731.1 million — Jan. 20, 2021; Maryland
- 5. $754.6 million — Feb. 6, 2023; Washington
- 4. $758.7 million — Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts
- 3. $768.4 million — March 27, 2019; Wisconsin
- 2. $1.586 billion — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
- 1. $2.04 billion — Nov. 7, 2022; California
What are the Top 10 largest lottery jackpots ever?
The following Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots made the Top 10 biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history, as of July 5, 2023.
- 10. $731.1 million Powerball drawing — Jan. 20, 2021; Maryland
- 9. $754.6 million Powerball drawing — Feb. 6, 2023; Washington
- 8. $758.7 million Powerball drawing — Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts
- 7. $768.4 million Powerball drawing — March 27, 2019; Wisconsin
- 6. $1.05 billion Mega Millions drawing — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
- 5. $1.337 billion Mega Millions drawing — July 29, 2022; Illinois
- 4. $1.35 billion Mega Millions drawing — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
- 3. $1.537 billion Mega Millions drawing — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
- 2. $1.586 billion Powerball drawing — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
- 1. $2.04 billion Powerball drawing — Nov. 7, 2022; California
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