Powerball jackpot reaches $856 million, the largest draw of 2024

The Powerball jackpot climbed to $856 million, making it the biggest prize pool of the year and the eighth-largest in the game’s history. A lump-sum cash option would be $370.7 million before taxes. The drawing is set for Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, with odds of 1 in 292.2 million for the top prize.

Stephen Durrell, chair of the Powerball Product Group and executive director of the Kansas Lottery, said, "Entering the top 10 largest Powerball jackpots is when we historically see a lot of players join in the game."

The jackpot, which has not been won since May 2, follows 41 consecutive drawings without a top-prize winner. Smaller wins have occurred, including a $1 million prize in Ohio for matching all five white balls in the most recent draw.

The record for a Powerball jackpot remains a $2.04 billion prize won in California in November 2022; no lump-sum payout has yet exceeded $1 billion. This draw also marks the first time the United Kingdom will participate in Powerball, after tickets began selling there on July 21, potentially accelerating future jackpot growth.