Powerball Jackpot Rises To $320 Million

The Powerball jackpot swelled to $320 Million after Wednesday night’s drawing yielded no winners – the 12th consecutive drawing to do so.

On Wednesday, the Powerball jackpot was significantly lower, hovering at about $260 million when the numbers 13, 14, 17, 43, 54 and 15 were read out. While no one had the Powerball number, three people held tickets that contained the first five numbers and were awarded $1 million dollars in prizes. Now that the jackpot has reached over $320 million, the cash option is now estimated at about $198.3 million.

Excitement over the Powerball jackpot has grown considerably in the last year, in which the jackpot has exceeded $300 million three times. In November, Matthew Good and Mark and Cindy Hill split a $587.5 million jackpot. The odds certainly weren’t in anyone’s favor as hopeful winners were purchasing 130,000 tickets a minute on the day of drawing. After all, it did end up being the second-largest lotto payout in U.S. history.

The huge payouts are due in large part to the increased cost of a Powerball ticket, which is now $2. “We redesigned the game and with more money going into the game,” Multi-State Lottery Association President Jim Haynes told ABC. "The jackpot prize pool has doubled so more people are playing because the jackpot is growing higher

“For $2, it’s inexpensive entertainment and you can buy a part of the dream.”

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