2016 Press Releases
January 8, 2016
POWERBALL® Jackpot Climbs to Record High, $800 Million
The Delaware Lottery Encourages Players to Play Responsibly
(DOVER, DE) — This Saturday, January 9, POWERBALL® players will have an opportunity to win the largest jackpot of any Lottery game in U.S. history, according to Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) officials. The new record high POWERBALL® estimated annuity jackpot of $800 million was reached after the Wednesday, January 6 drawing, marking the 19th drawing with no jackpot winner. The most recent grand-prize POWERBALL® winner was on November 4, 2015; the highest POWERBALL® grand-prize awarded to date was $590.5 million, won on May 18, 2013.
With Saturday’s $800 million jackpot drawing offering the largest potential win in U.S. history—a single winner could opt for a cash payout of $496 million—the Delaware Lottery joins lotteries across the country in encouraging people to play responsibly.
“We want people to have fun, but also remind them to take care not to get so swept up in ‘jackpot fever’ that they over extend themselves,” said Vernon Kirk, Director, Delaware Lottery. “The odds of wining a POWERBALL® jackpot prize are 1 in 292 million; it’s important for us to make people aware of this. In addition, we encourage people to play in the spirit of the Lottery—that is, for entertainment and in support of vital programs in the state of Delaware.”
The winning numbers from Wednesday’s drawing were 2, 11, 47, 62 and 63. The POWERBALL® number was 17 and the Power Play® number was 3. Although the jackpot remains, more than seven million players won more than $65.9 million in cash prizes. The overall odds of winning any POWERBALL® prize are 1 in 25. In the past year on a national level, POWERBALL® has produced 316 second-tier winners of $1 million or $2 million.
“It’s an exciting time for lotteries across the country as a jackpot of this magnitude can generate substantial revenue for state services,” Kirk added. “And, it’s an exciting time for players. Certainly, we respect the human nature to dream of taking home the jackpot. If everyone plays within their means and spends only what they can reasonably afford, this can be a fun experience with powerful outcomes for everyone.”
Saturday’s POWERBALL® drawing will be broadcast live from Tallahassee, Florida at 10:59 PM Eastern Time. Tickets sell for $2 per game; the Power Play® option POWERBALL® costs $3 per game.
About the Delaware Lottery
Since the start of operations in 1975, the Delaware Lottery has contributed more than $4.5 billion to the state’s General Fund to help finance needed state services that benefit everyone in Delaware. The Lottery offers a variety of games: POWERBALL®, MEGA MILLIONS®, HOT LOTTO®, MULTI-WIN LOTTO, LUCKY FOR LIFE™, PLAY 3, PLAY 4, KENO®, iGaming and assorted Instant Games, Video Lottery, Sports Lottery, and Table Games. Delaware Lottery game and promotional details are available at www.delottery.com, at licensed locations and from the Lottery’s office in Dover.
About POWERBALL®
POWERBALL® drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, 9:59 p.m. Central Time, 8:59 p.m. Mountain Time and 7:59 p.m. Pacific Time. For more information about POWERBALL® please visit www.powerball.com.
The 47 U.S. lotteries where POWERBALL® is available are: Arizona Lottery, Arkansas Lottery, California Lottery, Colorado Lottery, Connecticut Lottery Corporation, D.C. Lottery & CGCB, Delaware State Lottery, Florida Lottery, Georgia Lottery Corporation, Hoosier Lottery, Idaho Lottery, Illinois Lottery, Iowa Lottery, Kansas Lottery, Kentucky Lottery Corporation, Loteria Electronica de Puerto Rico, Louisiana Lottery Corporation, Maine Lottery, Maryland Lottery, Massachusetts Lottery, Michigan Lottery, Minnesota State Lottery, Missouri Lottery, Montana Lottery, Nebraska Lottery, New Hampshire Lottery Commission, New Jersey Lottery, New Mexico Lottery Authority, New York Lottery, North Carolina Education Lottery, North Dakota Lottery, Ohio Lottery, Oklahoma Lottery, Oregon Lottery, Pennsylvania Lottery, Rhode Island Lottery, South Carolina Education Lottery, South Dakota Lottery, Tennessee Education Lottery, Texas Lottery, U.S. Virgin Islands Lottery, Vermont Lottery, Virginia Lottery, Washington Lottery, Wisconsin Lottery, Wyoming Lottery, and the West Virginia Lottery. POWERBALL® is owned by the Multi-State Lottery Association, which is a government-benefit, nonprofit association owned and operated by 37 member lotteries.
POWERBALL® and Power Play® are registered trademarks of the Multi-State Lottery Association.
Winner privacy is our policy.
The Delaware Lottery publishes winner names only with their consent.
