Powerball Jackpot Soars to Record $1.5 Billion—Deadline & Winning Odds Explained

A single Illinois ticket matched all six numbers in Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing—4-26-66-67-69 and red Powerball 9—to land the entire $1.04 billion jackpot, worth $450.5 million cash before taxes. The win ends a run of 35 drawings without a grand-prize hit and ranks as the eighth-largest Powerball pot ever, trailing only record breakers such as 2022’s $2.04 billion haul in California. According to lottery officials, Illinois also scored the game’s last billion-plus prize back in 2023, reinforcing the state’s lucky-lotto reputation. Secondary prizes piled up nationwide Wednesday: one ticket in Massachusetts doubled its Match 5 payout to $2 million thanks to Power Play, while four others—sold in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina—snagged $1 million each for matching the first five white balls. Because the top prize has been claimed, the jackpot resets to $20 million for the next drawing on Saturday, August 15 at 10:59 p.m. ET. Players have until 9:59 p.m. ET on draw day to buy tickets in most states; local cut-off times vary. How to play Powerball and boost your odds • Pick five numbers from 1-69 plus one Powerball from 1-26, or let the terminal “Quick Pick” for you. • Add the $1 Power Play option to multiply non-jackpot wins by up to 10× when the advertised prize is $150 million or less. • Overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9; the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. What winners should know Jackpot victors choose between a 30-year annuity paid in graduated installments or a one-time lump sum (about $273 million after federal withholding on the new $20 million baseline). State taxes can carve out up to another 10 percent, and seven states levy no income tax on lottery wins. Advisers recommend securing the ticket, signing the back immediately and consulting a lawyer, accountant and financial planner before claiming. Largest Powerball jackpots 1. $2.04 billion – Nov 7 2022 – CA 2. $1.586 billion – Jan 13 2016 – CA / FL / TN 3. $1.08 billion – Jul 20 2023 – CA 4. $1.04 billion – Aug 12 2026 – IL (current) 5. $974.6 million – Aug 12 2026 – pending if no winner (superseded) (Complete top-10 list per Beacon Journal) Key takeaways for searchers • “Powerball winning numbers” for August 12 were 4-26-66-67-69, PB 9. • The jackpot hit $1.04 billion and was won in Illinois. • Next Powerball drawing is Saturday, August 15, resetting to $20 million. • Check tickets, consider Power Play, and know tax impacts before you claim.