Powerball Looking For $550 Million Winner In Tonight's Drawing

Although the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot remain tiny, millions of people across the country are giving the lottery a shot as the promised jackpot is up to $550 million.

The jackpot hit the half-billion mark after Saturday's drawing failed to produce a winner. The cash value of the jackpot is $360.2 million.

The odds of winning the top prize are one in 175,223,510, while the overall odds of winning a prize are one in 31.85, according to the Powerball website. The smallest prize is $4, and tickets are $2 each.

The drawing will be broadcast on the TV station Fox WTIC (Channel 61) in Hartford.

Powerball drawings take place every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Five numbers are drawn from a drum of 59 white balls and a red Powerball is drawn from a bin of 35 red balls. The jackpot winner will match the Powerball as well as all five white balls in any order.

The next highest prize is $1 million, which matches the five white balls in any order and can be doubled if a player purchases the PowerPlay option for an additional dollar. The odds of winning this prize are one in 1 in 5,153,632.65. Payouts are made by a lump sum payment or annuitized over 29 years.

Powerball is played in 42 states as well as Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands. The last Powerball jackpot winner from Connecticut was a Seymour resident who won a $60 million prize in June, according to the Connecticut Post.

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