Oh so close! Powerball ticket sold in Washington misses $409 million by one number
Oct 18, 2024, 8:44 AM | Updated: 9:24 am
The awnings of a store advertise the sale of lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Powerball, in 2023. (File photo: Seth Wenig, AP)
(File photo: Seth Wenig, AP)
A Powerball ticket sold in Washington state has won $1 million, narrowly missing the $409 million jackpot.
Lottery officials announced the ticket matched five of the winning numbers but not the Powerball in the drawing held on Wednesday. According to Washington’s Lottery, the winning numbers were 4, 30, 39, 44 and 60, with a Powerball of 11. The Power Play multiplier was 2.
While no one claimed the grand prize, the jackpot has now risen to an estimated $437 million, with a cash value of $210.3 million, for the next drawing scheduled on Saturday, October 19.
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In addition to the Washington ticket, two tickets sold in Illinois and one in California also matched five winning numbers but not the Powerball, each earning their holders $1 million. According to lottery officials, nearly 635,000 other Powerball tickets sold across the United States won prizes ranging from $4 to $100,000.
The Powerball jackpot has remained unclaimed since Aug. 19, when a player in California won the $44 million grand prize.
To win the Powerball jackpot, a player must match all five white balls plus the red Powerball. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the drawing, though sales times and prices vary by state. Drawings are held three times a week — on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET — and can be streamed online.
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Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game has become a staple of American lottery culture, offering life-changing sums of money to its winners.
As the jackpot continues to grow, excitement builds among hopeful participants. The next drawing on Saturday, Oct. 19, will undoubtedly attract a surge of ticket purchases as players across the nation dream of hitting the big prize.
For those looking to try their luck, it’s important to remember that while the odds are long, the thrill of the game and the possibility of winning even smaller prizes keep millions coming back for more. Whether it’s a $4 win or a million-dollar prize, each ticket holds the promise of a brighter future.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
