January 4, 2018

Powerball jackpot surpasses half-billion dollar mark after no winning tickets sold

WATCH: What you need to know before buying your jackpot lottery tickets

No winning tickets were sold for Wednesday night's $460 million Powerball drawing, lottery officials said.

The winning numbers were 2, 18, 37, 39 and 42, and the Powerball number was 12.

Lottery officials said the jackpot will grow to an estimated $550 million for Saturday night's drawing, which would make it the eighth largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

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Powerball and Mega Millions lottery tickets, Jan 3, 2018 in San Anselmo, Calif. The Powerball jackpot and Mega Millions jackpots are both over $400 million.
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The $550 million amount refers to the annuity payout option, in which the winner receives 30 payments over 29 years. The cash prize would be nearly $348 million before taxes.

Powerball is played in 44 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.