An estimated $950 million Powerball jackpot awaits the next drawing on Saturday, Aug. 30, marking the game’s sixth-largest prize and the highest advertised amount in over a year. The cash option stands at $428.9 million before taxes, according to lottery officials.
No ticket matched all six numbers in Wednesday’s drawing: white balls 9, 12, 22, 41, 61 and red Powerball 25, with a Power Play multiplier of 4. This rollover extends a streak of 38 drawings without a jackpot winner since the last hit on May 31 in California.
Six tickets nationwide secured $1 million or more by matching the five white balls. Winners in Arizona, New York and Virginia claimed $1 million each, while three tickets in Mississippi, Ohio and Virginia, enhanced by the $1 Power Play add-on, doubled to $2 million. Additionally, 40 tickets won $50,000 prizes, and 10 claimed $200,000.
In the separate Double Play drawing, available for an extra $1, a South Dakota ticket matched all five numbers for $500,000. Double Play uses the same Powerball numbers in a secondary draw, streamed on powerball.com after the main event, offering prizes up to $10 million.
Maryland players have seen recent success in Powerball, though none claimed the jackpot Wednesday. A $500,000 Double Play ticket sold at Bernie’s Liquors in Baltimore from the Aug. 25 drawing highlighted ongoing wins in the state. Earlier, on Aug. 21, two $500,000 tickets emerged from Prince George’s County retailers, underscoring Maryland’s participation in the multi-state game. The Maryland Lottery reported additional third-tier prizes, including a $100,000 ticket from Oxon Hill and a $50,000 from Baltimore in mid-August.
Tickets cost $2 per play, sold across 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Maryland, sales halt at 9:59 p.m. ET for the 10:59 p.m. drawings held Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from Tallahassee, Florida. Players select five numbers from 1 to 69 for white balls and one from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball, or opt for random quick picks.
Winners of Saturday’s potential jackpot can choose an annuity of 30 payments escalating 5% annually or the lump-sum cash. Both exclude taxes, with federal withholding at 24% and Maryland state tax up to 8.95% for residents.
The $950 million estimate ranks sixth in Powerball history, behind the record $2.04 billion won in California on Nov. 7, 2022. Other top prizes include $1.765 billion in October 2023, also in California, and the split $1.586 billion across California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016.
Maryland has produced three Powerball jackpot winners since joining in 2010. The largest, $731.1 million in January 2021, went to an anonymous group from Lonaconing in Allegany County, marking the state’s third overall and first since 2011. Earlier jackpots included $108.8 million claimed by an Abingdon couple in September 2011 and $128.8 million in 2003. These wins required in-person claims at lottery headquarters in Baltimore, a process for prizes over $600.
Powerball sales benefit jurisdictions directly, with over half of proceeds staying local. In Maryland, lottery revenue supports the state’s General Fund, funding education, public safety and health programs. Since 1973, the Maryland Lottery has generated more than $19 billion for state initiatives, including $1.2 billion in fiscal 2024 alone from all games. Powerball contributes significantly, with national totals exceeding $36 billion for good causes since 1992.
For Southern Maryland residents in Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, tickets are available at convenience stores, gas stations and supermarkets. Popular spots include Wawa locations and independent retailers, where sales cut off one hour before draws. The game’s odds remain steep: 1 in 292.2 million for the jackpot and 1 in 24.9 for any prize.
As the jackpot builds, officials remind players to play responsibly. Drawings stream live on powerball.com, with results posted immediately after.
This surge follows a pattern of escalating prizes, with the current run starting after the May 31 California win. If unclaimed Saturday, the pot could approach $1 billion for the next draw.
Maryland’s involvement in Powerball dates to its multi-state expansion, enhancing prize pools through collective sales. Local winners often remain anonymous under state law, protecting privacy amid large sums.
The game evolved from Lotto America in 1992, introducing the Power Play in 2001 and Double Play in 2021 to boost engagement. These features have multiplied non-jackpot wins, as seen in recent Maryland tickets.
With no cap on jackpots, Powerball can grow indefinitely until won, drawing increased ticket sales and media attention. Economists note such large prizes stimulate temporary economic boosts in retail sectors.
As Saturday approaches, anticipation builds among Maryland participants, who have claimed over 20 second-tier $1 million prizes historically. The next drawing offers another shot at history.
