Two winners were announced Sunday in the latest Powerball draw, each taking home half of the $1.8 billion jackpot – the second-largest prize ever awarded in the American lottery.
The winning tickets were purchased in Missouri and Texas with the numbers 11, 23, 44, 61, 62 and the Powerball number 17. The winners' identities have not yet been revealed.
Each winner can choose between $893.5 million paid out over 30 years, or a lump sum cash payment of $410.3 million, both before taxes. According to the Associated Press, most jackpot winners opt for the lump sum.
The last jackpot was claimed on May 31, meaning 41 consecutive draws passed without a winner until Saturday's record-breaking draw.
Powerball is one of the most popular lottery games in the US. Players choose five numbers from 1 to 69, plus a Powerball number between 1 and 26. The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292.2 million.
Tickets cost $2 each, and the game is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Draws are held three times a week. The $1.787 billion jackpot nearly reached the record of $2.04 billion set in November 2022, when a single winner from California claimed the prize.
