Montana Dreamers Eye $815 Million Powerball Jackpot

The Powerball jackpot has soared to $815 million, and here in Montana, people are already talking about what they’d do if their ticket turned out to be the one.

No Jackpot Winner Yet

The big prize rolled over again after no one matched all six numbers in Monday’s drawing. The winning numbers were 16, 19, 34, 37, and 64, with the red Powerball 22. The Power Play multiplier was 3.

Even though nobody snagged the jackpot, plenty of tickets still cashed in. Two lucky players in Georgia and Texas won $1 million each by matching all five white balls, while other tickets across the country picked up $50,000 or even $150,000 wins.

Extra Chances With Double Play

Some Montanans like to boost their odds with the Double Play® feature, which costs an extra buck. That add on gives you a second shot in a separate drawing with the same numbers. This week, a ticket in Maryland scored $500,000 through Double Play. It’s one more way to keep the dream alive.

A Jackpot That Keeps Climbing

Wednesday’s drawing will mark the 38th straight drawing without a jackpot winner. The last time someone hit it big was back on May 31 in California. Since then, the prize has just kept building and now it’s one of the largest jackpots ever offered.

How Montanans Can Play

Playing Powerball here in Montana is easy. Tickets cost $2 each and are sold at retailers across the state, from small town gas stations to grocery store counters. You’ll pick five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number between 1 and 26, or let the machine choose for you.

Your overall odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 25, while the odds of hitting the jackpot sit at 1 in 292 million. Still, plenty of folks say you can’t win if you don’t play.

What the Jackpot Really Means

The advertised prize is $815 million, but the cash option is estimated at about $367.9 million. If someone in Montana were to win and choose the annuity, they’d receive one payment right away, followed by 29 yearly payments that increase by 5 percent each year.

A Game That Gives Back

Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states plus D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A chunk of every ticket sold stays right here in Montana to help support programs funded by the state lottery. Since the very first Powerball drawing in 1992, the game has generated more than $36 billion for good causes across the U.S.

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When and Where to Watch

The drawing takes place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET (that’s 8:59 p.m. locally). You can watch it streamed live at Powerball.com or check the results through the Montana Lottery’s website and app shortly after the drawing wraps up.