Lottery: Powerball jackpot at $535M for Saturday drawing
Suzanne Feynman of Brentwood buys Powerball tickets at Cardsmart in Syosset on Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. Credit: Danielle Finkelstein
It won’t make you a billionaire. But a little $2 investment this weekend could make you very, very rich.
That is, if you’re lucky enough to win the jackpot in the next Powerball drawing, scheduled for Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
Lottery officials said that as of Friday evening the grand-prize jackpot stands at $535 million, making it the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history. The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $340.1 million. Before taxes, that is.
So what if the odds of winning the big prize are 1 in 292 million? Someone has to win eventually, don’t they?
The prize has climbed steadily in recent weeks because no one has won the top prize in what the New York Lottery calls “America’s Game” since the last jackpot-winning ticket was drawn on June 10. That ticket, worth a cool $447 million, was sold in Menifee, California, officials said.
Powerball is sold in 47 participating U.S. jurisdictions. Players have to choose five white balls ranging between 1 and 69, as well as a red Powerball from a separate field numbered 1 through 26. To win the jackpot, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
Tickets are sold until 10 p.m. on game night.
Strong sales since the last non-jackpot-winning draw have already boosted the potential pot by $25 million — up to $535 million, from the $510 million jackpot estimated on Thursday.
Lottery officials said it’s possible the pot could grow even larger on Saturday.
What could you do if you won? Chances are pretty much anything you want.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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