Powerball jackpot grows to $510 million

By Gazette Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES ? Saturday?s jackpot in the Iowa Lottery?s Powerball drawing had grown to an estimated $510 million making it the fifth largest ever offered in the game and ranked it eighth among the biggest lottery prizes in North America.

Powerball?s grand prize topped the $500 million mark for the first time since the jackpot run that produced the game?s world-record jackpot of nearly $1.6 billion in January 2016. That prize was split by three winning tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee.

Lottery officials said Thursday the current Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than two months and was last won in the drawing on June 10 with a ticket purchased in California. A ticket matching the five naumbers and the Powerball in Saturday?s drawing would generate a $324.2 million lump-sum payout for a single winner who chose that option over the annuity.

According to Iowa Lottery officials, a ticket purchased in Cedar Rapids came within one number of hitting Powerball?s big prize in Wednesday?s drawing ? matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. That ticket was purchased at Casey?s, 888 Vernon Valley Drive SE in Cedar Rapids.

The winning numbers in Wednesday?s Powerball drawing were: 9-15-43-60-64 and Powerball 4. The Power Play number was 3.

Iowa players can buy $2 tickets for Saturday?s Powerball jackpot up until 8:59 p.m. that day. Tickets purchased after that deadline will be for an upcoming drawing and won?t have a shot at that night?s big prize.

Overall, Iowa Lottery players have won eight Powerball jackpots. The biggest Powerball jackpot won to date in Iowa was a $241 million prize claimed in June 2012 by The Shipping 20, a group of co-workers from the Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids.

For the past three years in a row, the top-selling lottery retailer in Iowa has been the same location: the Hy-Vee supermarket at 20 Wilson Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids.

Powerball jackpots start at $40 million and grow until they are won. Players choose five numbers from a pool of 69 and another number ? the Powerball ? from a separate pool of 26. Players who match all six numbers win the jackpot. There also are eight other prize levels that can be won.

Powerball jackpot winners can choose to receive their prize in annuitized payments over time or in a one-time, lump-sum payment.