Powerball Jackpot Swells To $1.6B Saturday: What NYC Needs To Know

NEW YORK CITY — A lucky New York City dweller could beat the astronomical odds to claim a record-smashing $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot Saturday.

Or, at least that's what New Yorkers who've swarmed their local bodegas and other lottery ticket vendors this week hope.

Saturday night's Powerball drawing is the largest lottery prize in U.S. history. The jackpot grew that large after Wednesday's drawing — for $1.2 billion — passed without a winner and strong sales during the week sent it even higher.

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Indeed, no one has won the top prize since Aug. 3, leaving the jackpot and the odds to swell to epic proportions.

So, while $1.6 billion sounds enticing, don’t bank your future on winning the jackpot.

The odds stand at 1 in 292.2 million.

But it should be noted that the odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 24.9, so you may as well play along, as long as you don’t go overboard.

The numbers drawn Wednesday night were: 2, 11, 22, 35, 60 and the red Powerball 23.

The $1.6 billion prize is actually for winners who opt for an annuity, paid out annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners choose cash, which for Saturday’s drawing would be $782.4 million.

Powerball.com will livestream the drawing, which be Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.