In a stunning turn of events, a single Powerball ticket sold in Oregon has matched all six numbers for the $1.326 billion jackpot after Saturday night's drawing was delayed due to "pre-draw procedures," Powerball has confirmed.
The winning numbers that led to this historic jackpot win were white balls 22, 27, 44, 52, 69 and red Powerball 9. The cash value of Saturday's jackpot is an astounding $621 million, according to Powerball.
Following the delay, the Multi-State Lottery Association announced late Saturday that the drawing for the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot, originally scheduled for 10:59 p.m. ET, took place at 2:29 a.m. ET.
"Powerball game rules mandate that every single ticket sold nationwide must be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn," the association explained in a statement. "Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process."
Powerball also revealed that aside from the jackpot winner, Saturday night's drawing saw over 4.5 million winning tickets, with seven of them matching all five white balls to claim $1 million prizes.
This win comes after 40 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, with the last win dating back to New Year's Day when a single ticket in Michigan secured the top prize of $842.2 million.
Saturday night's 41st drawing night tied a record for drawings set twice before in 2022 and 2021. Saturday's jackpot was Powerball's fourth biggest ever and the eighth largest in U.S. lottery history.
The jackpot, which ranked as the eighth largest in U.S. lottery history, has grown so large because the long odds of 1 in 292.2 million make winning so difficult. That has enabled the top prize to roll over three times a week for months.
The $1.3 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, with an initial payment and then 29 annual payments. Winners can also choose the cash payout of $621 million.
Players win the jackpot by matching all five white balls and the red Powerball.
Powerball tickets are $2 each, and drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Powerball is played in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
