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The Powerball lottery has reached new heights. The jackpot now stands as the third largest in history, with the winning ticket worth an astounding $1.55 billion. As residents of New Jersey and beyond hold their breath for tonight’s drawing, the odds of claiming the top prize are a daunting one in 292 million.
Despite these odds, recent luck has emerged in the Garden State. In Saturday’s drawing, six New Jersey ticket holders matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball, each winning $50,000. The jackpot from Saturday's drawing was $1.42 billion, however no tickets sold matched all 5 white balls and the red Powerball, causing the jackpot to increase again.
The Powerball jackpot has been growing since July 19th, when a winning ticket was sold in California won the jackpot of $1.08 billion. The game is played 3 times per week across 45 states, Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.