The dream of becoming the next American billionaire is to be won this Saturday evening while the Jackpot Powerball went up to $ 1 billion, sending ticket sales across the country before the drawing of the Labor Day.
Game officials increased the jackpot estimate on Friday morning from $ 950 million after examining national ticket sales, Powerball said. The winner could opt for cash payment of $ 453.1 million before taxes.
“We provide additional excitement at the Labor Day weekend with a Jackpot Powerball that has climbed a billion dollars!” The president of the Powerball and CEO of Iowa Lottery, Matt Strawn, said in a press release.
Powerball tickets are stacked to play in a store in Los Angeles, Augf. 27, 2025.
Allison Dinner / EPA via Shutterstock
The game has not seen a Jackpot winner since May 31, when a California player called for a prize of $ 204.5 million. During this sequence of 39 drawings, the game created $ 62 million and 608 tickets worth $ 50,000 or more.
Wednesday’s drawing saw six tickets correspond to the five white balls – 9, 12, 22, 41 and 61 – with Red Powerball 25, each winning $ 1 million or more.
On Saturday jackpot winners can choose between annual payments or the lump sum. The rent option provides immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments which increase by 5% each year.
Powerball tickets cost $ 2 per game and are sold in 45 states, the Columbia, Puerto Rico district and the American virgin islands. The chances of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, while the overall chances of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9.
The game has generated more than $ 36 billion for the good causes supported by American lotteries since its first drawing in 1992, Powerball noted. According to Powerball.
The current jackpot ranks sixth among the biggest PowerBall. The record is $ 2.04 billion, won by a California player in November 2022, followed by the $ 1.765 billion price claimed in California in October 2023.
Other notable jackpots include the $ 1.586 billion division between winners in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016, the $ 1.326 billion won in Oregon in April 2024 and the $ 1.08 billion claimed in California in July 2023.
The drawing on Saturday will be broadcast live at 10:59 p.m. from Draw Lottery Draw studio in Tallahassee and broadcast on the PowerBall website.
