ALBUQUERQUE – The rush to buy Powerball® tickets has enriched the jackpot from $350 million to $360 million, the game’s third-largest prize ever. The jackpot’s cash option is $229.2 million.
Players have until 8 p.m. MT to buy tickets for the Wednesday drawing at 8:59 p.m. MT.
“This jackpot has started a buzz across New Mexico and it’s bringing out a flood of people hoping to win big,” said Tom Romero, New Mexico Lottery CEO. “We might see ticket sales push the jackpot to an even higher sum before Wednesday night’s drawing.”
Powerball is played in 45 lotteries. 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 randomly by the lottery’s gaming system. Each wager costs $2.
In addition to the jackpot, there are eight prize levels from $4 to $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 $587.5 million. It was shared by a man from Arizona and a husband and wife from Missouri in November 2012.
At $365 million, the game’s second-largest jackpot was won in February 2006 by co-workers from Nebraska.
New Mexico’s record Powerball jackpot is $206.9 million. It was won by a pool of nine players from the Roswell area in September 2008.
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 175 million.
Recent New Mexico Lottery Millionaires
In the past 18 months, 10 tickets from multi-state drawing games sold by the New Mexico Lottery have made 13 players millionaires.
- Larry and Cynthia Martinez of Blanco won a $1 million Powerball prize in January 2012.
- Patrick and Sharon Yazzie of Chinle, Ariz. won a $1 million Powerball prize in March 2012. The couple bought their ticket while shopping in Black Hat near Gallup.
- Robert Platt of Albuquerque won a $1.54 million Hot Lotto® jackpot while James Larson, also of Albuquerque, won a $1 million Powerball prize in April 2012.
- Danny Garcia of Veguita won a $1 million Mega Millions® prize in June 2012.
- Justin Laugherty of Las Cruces won a $1 million Powerball prize in August 2012.
- Michael Vigil of Santa Fe won a $1 million Powerball prize in September 2012.
- Joe and Lisa Woodruff of Hobbs won a $2 million Powerball prize in November 2012.
- Marjorie McDaniel of Farmington won a $1 million Powerball prize in November 2012.
- John Baker of Albuquerque won a $2 million Powerball prize in March 2013.
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
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 $560 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).