Powerball Jackpot Reaches $172 Million After Wednesday Drawing Produces No Grand Prize Winner

No players won the Powerball jackpot in Wednesday night's drawing, with winning numbers 5, 14, 21, 31, 51, and Powerball 13. The prize pool now stands at an estimated $172 million for Saturday's drawing, featuring a cash payout option of $75.6 million. Drawings occur three times weekly at approximately 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

Wednesday Drawing Results

The Powerball drawing produced no tickets matching all six numbers needed for the jackpot prize. Additionally, no tickets matched the five white ball numbers while missing the Powerball, meaning no winners claimed the $1 million secondary prize. The Power Play multiplier for this drawing was set at 4x, which would have boosted non-jackpot winnings for participating players.

A separate Double Play drawing generated different numbers: 4, 9, 43, 62, 68, with Powerball 3. This $10 million prize also went unclaimed, as no tickets matched all six combinations.

Prize Structure and Ticket Cost

A standard Powerball ticket costs $2. Players can add Power Play for an additional $1 to multiply winnings (except the jackpot itself), or add Double Play for another $1 for a second chance at the $10 million prize. Winning combinations require matching the Powerball alone, worth $4, or combining it with one or more of the five main numbers. The complete prize chart is available on powerball.com.

California Win and Tax Considerations

In separate news, a lottery player in Sunnyvale, California won $481,655 by matching five numbers (17, 32, 48, 60, 64) in a recent Monday drawing but missing the Powerball (10). The ticket was purchased at a Shell gas station. The winner faces immediate federal withholding of 24 percent, reducing the initial payout to approximately $366,058. Due to California's zero state income tax on lottery prizes, the primary tax burden comes from federal obligations. Final take-home amounts after year-end tax filing typically fall between $320,000 and $340,000 for prizes of this magnitude, depending on the winner's other annual income and resulting tax bracket.

Mega Millions Comparison

Meanwhile, Mega Millions posted stronger jackpot growth following Tuesday night's drawing. Numbers 1, 5, 49, 51, 59 with Mega Ball 7 produced no jackpot winner. The Mega Millions prize pool expanded to approximately $331 million for Friday's drawing, with a cash option of $145.2 million available to winners selecting lump sum payment over annuity.