COLUMBIA, SC (January 4, 2016) – The run up to Wednesday night’s sixth largest Powerball® jackpot drawing has already produced a $1 million winner here in South Carolina. Is a $400 million winner next?
We’ll know soon enough.
It’s been nearly a year since the jackpot has been in the news, and changes made to the game just four months ago could be the reason Powerball® is on a roll now.
A game makeover in October increased the already long odds of winning the jackpot from 1 in 176 million to roughly 1 in 293 million, in a move designed to lift Powerball® jackpots to records not seen since 2013 when the prize soared to $590 million.
Better overall odds, a 10X multiplier when jackpots are $150 million or less, and a new $50,000 prize were also part of the new game enhancements. And since those changes, three players in South Carolina have won $100,000, a prize that would have been $20,000.
“This jackpot run has been a long time coming and is incredibly exciting for our players,” said SC Lottery Executive Director Paula Harper Bethea, who reports brisk ticket sales in South Carolina. “Even if we don’t see one of our own players win big, we all benefit from a possible $2 million to $4 million in additional funding for education.”
If no one wins Wednesday night’s millions, the jackpot will loom even larger for Saturday.
South Carolinians looking to take a chance on the $400 million jackpot with a cash payout of $244 million, must purchase $2 Powerball® tickets by 9:59 p.m. for Wednesday’s 10:59 p.m. drawing.
Good luck, South Carolina! Please play responsibly.
We’ll know soon enough.
It’s been nearly a year since the jackpot has been in the news, and changes made to the game just four months ago could be the reason Powerball® is on a roll now.
A game makeover in October increased the already long odds of winning the jackpot from 1 in 176 million to roughly 1 in 293 million, in a move designed to lift Powerball® jackpots to records not seen since 2013 when the prize soared to $590 million.
Better overall odds, a 10X multiplier when jackpots are $150 million or less, and a new $50,000 prize were also part of the new game enhancements. And since those changes, three players in South Carolina have won $100,000, a prize that would have been $20,000.
“This jackpot run has been a long time coming and is incredibly exciting for our players,” said SC Lottery Executive Director Paula Harper Bethea, who reports brisk ticket sales in South Carolina. “Even if we don’t see one of our own players win big, we all benefit from a possible $2 million to $4 million in additional funding for education.”
If no one wins Wednesday night’s millions, the jackpot will loom even larger for Saturday.
South Carolinians looking to take a chance on the $400 million jackpot with a cash payout of $244 million, must purchase $2 Powerball® tickets by 9:59 p.m. for Wednesday’s 10:59 p.m. drawing.
Good luck, South Carolina! Please play responsibly.
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