Powerball jackpot soars to $750M. Here’s how much Kentuckians have spent on this run
Kentuckians playing the Powerball have a 1 in 292.2 million chance of taking home a massive jackpot during Wednesday night’s drawing, but that isn’t stopping them, judging by the millions of tickets sold in the Bluegrass State of late.
Powerball ticket sales are surging in Kentucky as the jackpot soars to an estimated $750 million, making Wednesday’s drawing the seventh-largest in the history of the game, the Associated Press reports.
According to the AP, players have a shot at either the $750 million jackpot paid out in yearly installments or they can take the $379 million lump sum before taxes.
The winning white ball numbers for Monday night’s drawing were 2, 24, 34, 53, 58 with a red Powerball of 13. A man in Kentucky did secure a lesser, $50,000 prize.
Winners have 180 days to claim their prize, according to state lottery rules.
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and players can catch the drawings live through the game’s official website.
How many Powerball tickets have been sold in Kentucky for the latest run?
Since the April 20 Powerball drawing — which was won by a player in Ohio — ticket sales for the game have rocketed skyward in the Bluegrass State as the jackpot has grown.
Jennifer Cunningham, the chief spokesperson for the Kentucky Lottery, told the Herald-Leader in an email Tuesday Kentuckians have purchased 4.3 million Powerball tickets since the April 20 drawing.
According to the game’s website, the Monday Powerball drawing produced more than 1.8 million winning tickets of lesser value.
Where does the money go?
According to Cunningham, ticket sales during this latest Powerball run have generated approximately $15.1 million as of Monday.
The state’s lottery says the money generated by games funds college scholarships. For every dollar Kentuckians pay into the games, 69 cents goes to the winners, 21 cents to the state, 5 cents to lottery retailers and 5 cents cover administrative costs.
All told, Kentucky Lottery claims to have raised $6.4 billion since its inception in 1989, according to its website. The money supports programs like the Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship (KEES) and student aid provided by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, which sources 98% of its student aid from state lottery money.
How do I play Powerball?
Each play will cost you $2.
You choose five white ball numbers between one and 69 and one Powerball number between one and 26. You can also just choose the Quick Pick and have a computer randomly select the numbers for you.
If you opt to pay an extra dollar, you can add a Power Play to multiply your potential winnings, excluding the jackpot.
You can buy a ticket online at kylottery.com or at any lottery retailer, such as a gas station or grocery store.
If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.
Do you have a question about the lottery in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.