Powerball Jackpot Grows To $850M, 7th-Largest In History, Fueling Ticket Sales In MA

UPDATED 2:45 p.m.

MASSACHUSETTS — Powerball vendors are expected to be busy as the estimated jackpot in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing grew to $850 million, the seventh highest in the history of the game.

Strong sales and historic payout fever caused lottery officials to raise the jackpot from an estimated $815 million forecast earlier in the day on Wednesday.

Powerball vendors in Massachusetts are found on the Mass Lottery website. Tickets must be purchased by 9:50 to be considered in Wednesday’s drawing at 10:59 p.m. ET.

The top prize has a cash value of $367.9 million, Powerball said.

• Salem Liquor Store Sells Grand Prize Lottery Scratch Ticket Winner

The jackpot climbed again after no player matched the winning numbers Monday: white balls 16, 19, 34, 37 and 64, and the red Powerball 22.

Two tickets in Georgia and Texas won $1 million prizes after matching all five white balls. Five tickets won $150,000 prizes, and 26 won $50,000 prizes, Powerball said.

Also, a Maryland player who purchased the Double Play option for an extra $1 won a $500,000 prize after matching all five black balls. The option allows players to play their Powerball numbers again in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million.

• $4 Million Scratch-Off Ticket Winner Sold At North Andover Store

In Monday’s drawing, one $50,000 prize was won on a ticket purchased at Home Plate, located at 224 Middleboro Avenue in East Taunton.

Wednesday's Powerball drawing will be the 38th drawing since the jackpot was last won in California on May 31.

Powerball tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $36 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)