The Powerball drawing for a $1.3 billion jackpot on Saturday night faced a delay due to a participating lottery needing extra time to complete pre-draw procedures, Powerball officials announced.
Under Powerball game rules, every ticket sold nationwide must be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn.
This rigorous process ensures that each ticket sold for the Powerball drawing is duly accounted for and has an equal chance to win. "Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process," a statement from Powerball explained.
Although the lottery did not specify when the next drawing would occur, participants were advised to hold on to their tickets for Saturday’s Powerball drawing.
The $1.3 billion jackpot had swelled ahead of Saturday night's drawing after an unprecedented streak without a jackpot winner.
The Powerball jackpot has remained unclaimed since Jan. 1, when a ticket sold in Michigan secured an $842.4 million jackpot.
Saturday's drawing marked the 41st in the current jackpot run, equaling the lottery game's record for most consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. Powerball has seen only two other jackpot runs reach 41 drawings before a winner was declared.
The estimated $1.3 billion jackpot ranks as the fourth-largest in Powerball history and the eighth-largest overall when considering Mega Millions jackpots.
In the event of a Powerball jackpot win, the winner can opt for an estimated lump-sum, pre-tax payment of $608.9 million or annual pre-tax payments of the $1.3 billion, starting with an immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments increasing by 5% each year.
According to Powerball, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
Powerball tickets are priced at $2 per play and are available for purchase in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The next drawing is scheduled for Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.