ALBUQUERQUE – The nationwide rush to buy tickets for tonight’s Powerball® drawing has driven the jackpot from $500 million to $550 million.
Players have until 8 p.m. MT to buy tickets. The drawing takes place at 8:59 p.m. MT.
If no one matches the winning numbers in tonight’s drawing, the jackpot will roll to an estimated $900 million for Saturday’s drawing.
The New Mexico Lottery is reminding all players to sign their tickets as soon as they are purchased. Lottery tickets are bearer instruments and prizes will be paid to the person or persons who sign the ticket.
Powerball is played in 44 lotteries. To play, players choose five numbers from 1 to 59 and one Powerball number from 1 to 35. Players can also ask for a “quick pick,” a set of numbers chosen by the lottery’s gaming system. Each wager costs $2.
In addition to the jackpot, there are eight prize levels ranging between $4 and $1 million. The game’s Power Play® option multiples non-jackpot prizes and will double the $1 million prize to $2 million automatically. Power Play costs an additional $1 per play per drawing.
Powerball Records
The game’s record jackpot is $337 million. It was won in August by a player in Michigan.
Of the five Powerball jackpots won in New Mexico, the record is $206.9 million. It was won by a pool of nine players from the Roswell area in September 2008.
All profits from the sale of New Mexico Lottery games fund an in-state college tuition assistance program. Since 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $539 million for education and more than 82,600 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships. More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.
Follow the New Mexico Lottery on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nmlottery) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/NewMexicoLottery).