ALBUQUERQUE – It’s happened! The current Powerball® jackpot is now the largest jackpot in U.S. history, sitting at a record $700 million, already increased from this morning’s $675 million jackpot.
One lucky New Mexico Lottery player won $2 million in last night’s draw. Their lucky ticket, purchased in Loving, NM, matched five white balls of 2, 11, 47, 62 and 63. It was purchased with the $1 add-on “Power Play®” that doubled the ticket’s $1 million prize to $2 million.
Additionally, another lucky player won $85,000 in last night’s New Mexico Lottery’s Roadrunner Cash™ drawing.
New Mexico Lottery CEO David Barden said, “Have fun, but remember to play responsibly. Familiarize yourself with player safeguards: sign your ticket, check your numbers, and listen for the winner tune when you have your ticket checked. New Mexico Lottery tickets expire 90 days from the date of the drawing.”
Players in New Mexico have until 8 p.m. MT Saturday to buy a ticket for the next drawing, which takes place at approximately 8:59 p.m. MT.
Jackpot Fun Facts
New Mexico has had five Powerball jackpot winners. The record New Mexico Powerball jackpot was $206.9 million, won by a pool of nine Powerball players from the Roswell area in September 2008.
Last night’s $2 million winner makes the 20th Powerball ticket to have won prizes of $1 million and $2 million to New Mexico players over the last seven years.
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. 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.