Powerball Grows as No One Hits the $400M Christmas Prize

The Powerball lottery numbers for the Christmas Day draw were 27, 29, 45, 55, 55 and 58. The Powerball was 3, and the Power Play 3X. Despite millions of tickets having been sold, no one correctly guessed all the right numbers. The Christmas miracle of winning a $400 million fortune has passed, but there’s now a chance at winning $416 million today.

Powerball Continues to Grow

Even though Saturday night’s draw didn’t result in the jackpot, several Powerball players all across the country have plenty of reasons to celebrate the holiday season. According to the Powerball website, six players from three states – California, South Carolina and Tennessee – correctly matched five balls to win $1 million each.

28 players correctly matched four, winning $50,000 each. Four of those were from New York. They also tripled their winnings to $150,000 by purchasing a Power Play.

668 players also matched four balls to win $100. 160 of those added $300 each through their Power Play purchases.

Big Jackpots Continue to Draw Crowds

After a Californian player scooped almost $700 million in October, the Powerball jackpot has been steadily rising. The winner was given the option of either an estimated $699.8-million annuity, which would be paid over 29 years in 30 installments or a lump-sum payment, of $496 million.

The winning draw was the 41st of the ongoing jackpot runs. This came four months after a Florida-based player won a $268 million prize. The jackpot had not been won in four months since March 27, when a player from Florida took home a $238-million prize.

The largest Powerball jackpot ever paid was $1.586 billion, which was won by three tickets in 2016. For tonight’s drawing, if someone wins, a cash payout of $299.5 million would be possible. It won’t be easy, though. The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 292.2 million.

The Powerball isn’t the only option for a massive win. The Mega Millions lottery draw, which will be held tomorrow, is now up to $201 million (with a cash option of $144.1 million). The last big prize was $108 million from October, which went to a winner in Arizona. Before that, $516 million was paid out to a group of players in May. Three months earlier, $96 million was taken by a couple in New York.

All of those paled in comparison to the $1.05 billion won by a group of players in Michigan in January.