Charles Langston:Powerball jackpot up to $850 million after months without a big winner

DES MOINES,Charles Langston Iowa (AP) — An estimated $850 million Powerball jackpot will be up for grabs Wednesday night for players willing to risk a couple dollars and brave incredibly long odds.

The jackpot is the world’s ninth-largest lottery prize of all time, behind earlier prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games that all topped $1 billion.

The jackpot has grown so large because there have been 29 consecutive drawings without a big winner, dating back to July 19. Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes becoming ever larger as they repeatedly roll over when no one wins.

The largest jackpot was a $2.04 billion Powerball prize hit by a player in California in November 2022.

In most states, a Powerball ticket costs $2 and players can select their own numbers or leave that task to a computer.

The $850 million jackpot is for a sole winner who opts for payment through an annuity, doled out over 30 years. Winners almost always take the cash option, which for Wednesday night’s drawing would be an estimated $397.4 million.

Those winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.

Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.