ALBUQUERQUE – Another strong day of national Powerball sales has resulted in a second jackpot increase for tonight’s drawing. The Powerball® jackpot is now $500 million, up from $450 million.
This is the sixth-largest jackpot of any lottery game in US history and the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot.
New Mexico Lottery CEO David Barden said, “while jackpots this large generate many exciting dreams and plans, please play responsibly. Remember to sign your ticket and check your numbers soon after the drawing. New Mexico Lottery tickets expire 90 days from the date of the drawing.”
Players in New Mexico have until 8 p.m. MT tonight to buy a ticket for the drawing, which takes place at approximately 8:59 p.m.
Jackpot Fun Facts
If tonight’s jackpot lands in New Mexico, it will break the record $206.9 million jackpot won by a pool of nine Powerball players from the Roswell area in September 2008.
In the past seven years in New Mexico, 19 Powerball tickets have paid prizes of $1 million and $2 million. The state’s most recent Powerball millionaire is Leo Castillo of Crownpoint. He claimed a $1 million Powerball prize on October 30, 2015.
The record jackpot of any lottery game in US history was $656 million in March, 2012. It was won by three players (Kansas, Illinois and Maryland). The record Powerball jackpot is $590.5 million. It was won in May 2013 by a player in Florida.
How to Play Powerball
Powerball is played in 47 lotteries. The game was last updated in October 2015 with changes aimed at delivering big jackpots while increasing other significant prizes in the game. To play, players choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. 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.
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292 million. The overall odds of winning a Powerball prize are approximately 1 in 25.
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
The New Mexico Lottery has raised $670.5 million for education in New Mexico. More than 100,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships. More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.