Powerball soars to $800 million as states see strong sales

As of close of business Thursday, Powerball sales in Louisiana totaled more than $22 million for this jackpot run.

It’s clear that more people than ever are playing the Powerball as it reaches the highest mark for a lottery prize in U.S. history at $700 million.

A giveaway at the Kroger on West Hively in Elkhart starts at noon and a giveaway starts at the Kroger on Western Avenue in South Bend at 4 p.m. The victor will receive 30 annual payments of approximately $23.3 million each, with the first payment made shortly after the ticket is validated.

The jackpot was $500 million in the Wednesday night drawing.

The largest Powerball prize Pennsylvania has awarded was a $110.2 million cash-value jackpot in May 2004.

The previous record was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot won in March 2012.

Powerball is sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“While it is fun to dream about winning an enormous jackpot like this, it is imperative that players buy tickets responsibly”, said May Scheve Reardon, executive director of the Missouri Lottery. However, that was far smaller than last year’s biggest jackpots of $564.1 million in February and $310.5 million in September.

Reardon also noted the importance of signing your ticket immediately after you buy it and putting it in a safe place.

“The excitement that follows a life-changing win is incredible, and players should prepare for it as best they can”, said Louisiana Lottery President Rose Hudson.

How did the jackpot get so large?

For the excitement of watching the numbers being drawn live, Powerball offers a live stream through an app available on the Apple Store and on Google Play. But no one won the grand prize. For example, a ticket with two Powerball plays and Power Play selected will cost $6. Neither player added the PowerPlay feature for an additional dollar.

The announcement of the jackpot amount was made Friday by the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball for 47 participating lotteries, including the Louisiana Lottery.