Brisk Sales Push Powerball Jackpot to $485 Million for Feb. 11 Drawing
MIDDLETOWN, Pa., Feb. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Powerball® jackpot today was increased to a $485 million annuity value, or a $327.7 million cash prize, for the Wednesday, Feb. 11, drawing, thanks to brisk ticket sales.
If won tomorrow, the jackpot would rank as the game's third-largest annuity prize on record. Powerball and Powerball with Power Play tickets were selling at a rate of about 2,300 tickets per-minute as of noon today, statewide.
The jackpot had rolled to a $450 million annuity value, or $304.1 million cash prize, after Saturday's drawing produced no jackpot winner.
The Powerball jackpot is at its highest level in nearly a year. On Feb. 19, 2014, one ticket sold in California won $425.3 million. Numerous jackpots of lesser amounts have been won since then.
In Pennsylvania, Powerball tickets for are sold until 9:59 p.m. on drawing nights. The Pennsylvania Lottery advises players to purchase their Powerball tickets early to avoid any last-minute rush and to always play responsibly.
Players are reminded to check every ticket, every time. Since the current Powerball jackpot run began in early December, Pennsylvania Lottery Powerball players have won nearly $12.7 million in cash prizes, including four $1 million prizes (from the Dec. 6, Dec. 17 and Jan. 17 drawings) and a $2 million prize (from the Feb. 4 drawing).
How to play Powerball: Players pay $2 and select five white balls from the first set of 59 numbers plus a single red ball, the Powerball, from a second set of 35 numbers. Players may select their own numbers using a Powerball playslip, or they may opt for computer-selected quick picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn plus the Powerball number to win the jackpot. There also are eight additional ways for players to win a cash prize.
Purchasing the $1 Power Play option allows a winner to increase lower-tier prizes by a factor of 2, 3, 4 or 5, depending on the Power Play number drawn. The jackpot and the Match 5 prize are not multiplied. The Match 5 prize with the Power Play option is set at $2 million. It is $1 million without Power Play.
Powerball is sold in 44 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Pennsylvania, tickets are sold until 9:59 p.m. on drawings nights, Wednesday and Saturday.
About the Pennsylvania Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery that designates all its proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since its inception in 1971, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed more than $24.7 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free transit and reduced-fare shared rides; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state.
The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds players to check every ticket, every time. Players must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. For help with a gambling problem, call 1-800-848-1880.
For drawings results, winning numbers, winners' stories and to subscribe to the Lottery's RSS news feed, visit www.palottery.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/palottery or follow us at www.twitter.com/palottery.
Media contact: Gary Miller or Lauren Bottaro, 717-702-8008
Editor's Note: For Powerball historic information and jackpot rankings, visit www.powerball.com and select "Press Contacts," then select the link for "Powerball General Information."
SOURCE Pennsylvania Lottery
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